A Mother Reincarnated
by Brenna's Urbangirl Projects
Summary: Patty Halliwell died and when she was to go on to the afterlife, she was approached by an Angel of Destiny and the Elders to either continue on to the afterlife, or to be reborn and continue the fight against evil. She chose to be reborn and was reborn as Buffy Summers, the Slayer.
1. Prologue: Tabula Rasa

**Summary:** Patty Halliwell died and when she was to go on to the afterlife, she was approached by an Angel of Destiny and the Elders to either continue on to the afterlife, or to be reborn and continue the fight against evil. She chose to be reborn and was reborn as Buffy Summers, the Slayer.

 **Pairings:** Buffy/? I am debating either Victor (Prue, Piper and Phoebe's father and Patty's ex-husband) or Sam (Paige's father, Patty's lover and Whitelighter)

 **A/U:** Set during and after the BTVS season 6 episode, Tabula Rosa and the Charmed season 4 premiere, Charmed Again.

 **Disclaimer:** Joss Whedon owns Buffy the Vampire Slayer, CBS may own Charmed (it appears they do since rumor has it they are looking at rebooting the show).

* * *

 **Prologue: Tabula Rasa**

Buffy walked through the cemetery, her eyes held a vacant look. Several yards back, a shadowy figure trailed her, obscured by the mist. She stopped walking as she looked around her Slayer senses telling her something was there. She whirled around, her body tense, stake poised, only to find herself face to face with Spike.

"Can we talk?" Spike asked as Buffy gave him an irritated look.

"Vocal cord wise, yes. With each other, no." Buffy said as she turned and started to walk away.

Spike held his ground as he called after her, "We have to talk."

Ten feet away from Spike, Buffy turned to face him again. "About what?" she asked.

"Um, whatever," Spike said. "Just conversation. For instance, the weather, the ... graves … the—We kissed, Buffy."

Buffy stared him down, seemingly unaffected. "So?"

"We kissed, you and me, all _Gone with the Wind_ with the rising music and the rising ... music, and what was that Buffy?" Spike asked.

"A spell," Buffy said as she turned walked away again.

Spike quickly followed after Buffy. "Don't you get all prim and proper on me. I know what kind of girl you really are," he said as she stopped walking. He walked around her so that he could face her. "Don't I?"

"What we did, is done," Buffy said. "But I will never kiss you Spike, never touch you, ever, ever again." Suddenly she threw herself at him, knocking him to the ground, just as a flying stake whizzed by, missing them by inches and impaling itself in a tree just behind them.

They looked up, and found a face a shark-headed demon and his two vampire heavies standing ten feet away.

Buffy rolled off Spike and faced the demon and vampires, quite irritated at the interruption.

"Easy, boys," the demon said as he paced. "There's no need to get physical-like. Is there Mr. Spike?"

Buffy looked at Spike. "You know this guy?" she asked.

Spike nodded. "Yeah," he said as he looked at the demon. "What do you want?"

The demon walked past Buffy and Spike to the tree. He reached and wrenched the stake loose. He then returned to his pacing as he used the stake to clean under his fingernails. "Me?" he said. "There are a lot of things I would like. A house in Bel Aire with a generously-sized swimming pool; a lady barracuda who loves me for who I really am ..." Suddenly, he got in Spike's face as he held the stake at Spike's heart. "And the forty Siamese that you owe me."

"Take it easy. You'll get your kittens." Spike said.

"I trust you Mr. Spike," the demon said as he pulled away the stake. "That's why I let you gamble the felines in the first place."

"Oh god, what is with you guys?" Buffy asked. "Why kittens? Why can't you use money like normal people?"

"She's funny. I like funny in a girl," the demon said.

"I just need a little time." Spike said.

"Time. Time's what turns kittens into cats," the demon said as he motioned to the vampires, who come forward, closing in on Buffy and Spike. "I don't want to see anyone get hurt."

Buffy grabbed a tree branch and swung forward, kicking the first vampire in the face causing him to stagger back. "Then you better close your eyes," she said as she dropped from the branch.

The other vampire charged Spike, stake in hand as Buffy stepped between them and socked him in the gut. As he doubled over in pain, she hit him on the back of the neck and he crumpled to the ground. She picked up his fallen stake and pushed the first vampire back as Spike gingerly edged away.

"I said she was the Slayer, Boss," the first vampire said.

"Good for you. The Vampire Slayer. Have you given any thought to freelance work, a little debt collecting perhaps? I bet you could really bust up a knee cap or two," the demon said to Buffy.

"No. Thank you," Buffy said, dryly as the second vampire got to his feet and shuffled over to the demon.

"Boss," the first vampire said as he looked around, "he's gone; Spike has split."

They all look around and found that it was true, Spike was gone.

"That's what I get for socializing. C'mon boys, up and at'em. We'll locate Mr. Spike and uh, _talk_ to him a little more," the demon said. He made a little bow towards Buffy. "It was a genuine pleasure." He and the vamps walk away.

Buffy looked around for Spike as the demon and the vampires walked away. "If I just stopped saving his life it would simple things up so much," she said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

The next morning in the training room of the Magic Box, Buffy sat on the couch next to Giles. She was in a state of shock at what she had just learned. "No," she said.

"I'm afraid I have to," Giles said, he didn't relish telling Buffy this, but it was necessary.

"Uh-huh." Buffy said. "What do you mean _you have to_? You can't! Giles, this is when I need you. I'm all messed up. Everything is all messed up."

Giles nodded. "I know. But you have to be strong. I'm trying to—"

"To what? Abandon me, desert me? Leave me all alone when I really need somebody, that's great. That's just really great of you." Buffy said.

"Buffy, please, this is hard." Giles said.

"Yeah, I know, I know. This hurts you more than it hurts me. And it will be really hard for you over in jolly old England, palling around with all your jolly old friends and riding around in double decker buses or whatever the hell you do there." Buffy said.

Giles sighed, "I don't want to leave—"

"So don't. Please don't, okay? I can't do this without you." Buffy said.

Giles shook his head knowing that she could do it without him. "But you can. That's why I'm going. As long as I stay, when things arise that you feel you can't handle, you'll turn to me. And I'll step in, because... Because I hate to see you suffer."

Buffy sighed. "As much of it as I can take—"

"And I'm loathe to cause you any more, believe me. But this is ... In every mentor relationship, there's a point when the student must kill the teacher—" Giles said as Buffy glared at him. "Metaphorically. What I'm saying ... I've taught you everything you need know about being the Slayer. And your mother taught you everything you need know about life. But you won't believe it until you're forced to stand alone."

"But why now? Now that you know where I've been. What I'm dealing with—" Buffy said.

"Now more than ever. The temptation to give up must be powerful. I can't let that happen." Giles said.

"So I won't," Buffy said. "No giving up. You can be here and I can still be strong. I don't have to depend on you as much as I have."

"Buffy. I've thought this over. And over. I think it's the right thing." Giles said.

Buffy stood up, hurt and a tad bit mad. "You're wrong."

Giles sighed. "I don't think so. I hope not."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

At Buffy's house, Dawn and Tara stood at the bottom of the stairs as they waited for Willow. "Willow! Get the lead out," Dawn bellowed.

"Coming," Willow called down.

Dawn looked to Tara. "What's does that mean anyway?" she wondered. "Get what lead out of where?"

Tara shrugged. "Cars."

"Oh. For some reason I pictured a pencil," Dawn said. "Willow! You ready?"

Willow appeared at the top of the stairs, a towel wrapped around her body with her hair wrapped up in another towel. "Not so much. You go ahead. Tell Giles to hold up, I'm there in a sec."

"Fine," Tara said.

"Hurry up; you don't wanna miss the lowdown on our latest featured creature," Dawn said as Tara nudged her out the door.

Willow waited a moment at the top of the stairs to make sure they were gone. Then she headed toward her bedroom ... With a little magic she was dressed in a blink of an eye and heading downstairs. In the living room she glanced at an old photo of Buffy taken before she had jumped off the tower so that Dawn would not have to. She hoped what she was about to do would ease the pain that Buffy was in. As well as make Tara forget her uses of magic.

Willow walked over to the bookshelf and pulled back a few books to reveal a Ziploc bag containing dried Lethe's Bramble. She pulled out the Lethe's Bramble and replaced the books. She knelt by the fireplace and pulled out four sprigs of the dried weed and ignited them before tossing them into the fireplace. The Lethe's Bramble smolders, producing a dense, foul smoke as Willow watched. She then tossed in a fifth sprig for good measure.

" _For Buffy and Tara this I char, let Lethe's Bramble do its chore. Purge their minds of memories grim, of pains from recent slights and sins ..._ " Willow chanted as she took a pure white crystal from the breast pocket of her shirt and touched it to the burning herbs. It immediately turned pale gray. "When the fire goes out. When the crystal turns black. The spell will be cast. Tabula rasa. Tabula rasa. Tabula rasa." She then stood as she gave the fire a final look. She put the crystal in her pocket and then headed for the door.

The bag of Lethe's Bramble, left carelessly near the fireplace, is burned by a stray ember.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

At the Magic Box Tara, Dawn, Anya and Giles sat around the table waiting for Willow and Xander.

"So what do we got?" Dawn asked as she looked at her sister who sat near the counter staring off into space.

"Sorry?" Giles asked.

"What kind of oogly-booglys? Lizardy-types, or zombies, or vampires or what?" Dawn asked.

"Dawn. There are no _oogly-booglys_ ," Giles said as Willow and Xander walked through the front door.

"Thanks, it's cold out there." Willow said, wearing Xander's jacket.

"Not a problem," Xander said as he shivered slightly. "The cold only makes me stronger and more macho-like."

"I'm glad you're here." Giles said as he stood up. "I have something I really have to tell you all. I know it seems like we've been through this but—"

Suddenly on the verge of tears, Buffy stood up. "Why don't you jump to the chase, Giles? Just tell them that you're—"

But just as Buffy was about to tell them Giles was leaving, the front door banged open and Spike came flying in. They all noted the suit and hat he was wearing.

Spike slammed the door before moving towards Buffy. He smiled nervously. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Spike?" Giles asked.

"Holy moly." Anya said.

"You need to give me asylum." Spike said.

Xander shook his head. "I'll say."

Spike hopped up on the counter as he took off his hat. "No need to get cute. It's a disguise. Thrift shop number. Happens there's a bloke I'd rather not see just now," he said as he looked at Buffy. "You met him, I believe. The toothy bloke with the baby seal breath?"

As everyone stared at Spike, Willow discreetly pulled the crystal from her pocket and checked it. It had turned black as tar.

"Alright, then. If we've recovered from Spike's sartorial humor ..." Giles said as he looked to Buffy. "I will jump to the chase. I'm heading back to England and I plan on staying. Indefinitely."

"Now? Not now, not right after ... everything." Xander said.

Giles nodded as he sat back down. "Yes, now—"

"For real this time?" Anya asked. "'Cause honest to Pete, a young shopkeeper's heart can only be broken so many times. I mean, not that I want you to—"

Buffy, distraught, moved towards the door. "I—I can't do this. I gotta ... You guys just—"

Willow walked over to Buffy and put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Buffy," she said, I ... listen. I know this must be awful for you. And I'm sorry, so sorry, for what we put you—"

Buffy turned on Willow, as she broke down, her pain palpable. "I'm sorry. Everybody's sorry. And I know you're trying to help me. But it's all too much, Will. The memories, they hurt," she said. "I can't take it anymore. If you understood how it felt—how it feels now ... It's like I'm dying in—" Suddenly she closed her eyes and crumpled to her knees as everyone else did the same.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

The sun had long set when Buffy's eyes blinked open. She sat up, stretched and yawned as if she was had just woken from a long nap. Then suddenly she froze: she had no idea where she was. She squinted, trying desperately to remember... anything. Then suddenly memories rushed into her head. Slowly, carefully, she got to her feet. She looked around the room at the sleeping strangers.

Willow was the next to wake. She looked at Xander and jerked back with a little yelp. "Uhh!"

As Willow jerked away from Xander, he woke and yelped. He looked at Willow, and forced a casual smile to cover for the fact he had no idea who she was. "Hey."

"Hey?" Willow said as she smiled back uncomfortably at Xander.

Tara stretched like a satisfied cat after a nap and then opened her eyes. Satisfaction turned to embarrassment and then confusion.

Anya and Giles woke and looked at each other curiously.

"Hello." Giles said.

Spike woke as he fell off the counter and hit the ground. "AAAaaa!"

And with Spike's yell, Dawn awoke and looked around terrified, her eyes wide with panic. "Who, who are you guys?"

Buffy moved to Dawn and reached out to her. "Hey, don't worry."

Dawn moved away from Buffy, afraid of Buffy's touch. "Please don't hurt me."

"It's okay. I don't know anyone here either." Buffy said.

"Yeah? Who are you?" Dawn asked.

Buffy was caught off guard, one of the last things she remembered was talking to one of the Angels of Destiny and the Elders, about being reincarnated, and about being able to continue the good fight. She was sure this was the body she had been reincarnated in, but the question was why she remembered her old life. "I...nm, I—"

Suddenly Xander leapt to his feet. "Who are you freaks?" he asked.

"You don't know me?" Willow asked.

Xander shook his head. "I don't have a clue."

"But you just acted all, _Hey_." Willow said.

Xander nodded. "Yeah, 'cause I thought you were a girl and I'd remember in a second but—"

"I am a girl. I'm ..." Willow said and then she realized that she didn't remember her own name. "Not sure who I am. Exactly. But—"

"Okay ... why was I on the ground? And why are you all staring at me? Is this some kind of psych test? Am I getting paid for this? Is this a bad dream?" Xander said, paranoid as he pinched himself. "Yow, okay, no. Am I in trouble? I didn't do it! And if I did, it was an accident."

"It's not just you. Does anyone remember anything?" Giles asked.

Spike shook his head. "Nope."

Buffy watched as everyone shook their heads. She thought about it for a moment then shook her head as well. She knew what she did remember should not have been possible outside of being summoned by her daughters. She looked at the others and didn't see Piper, Phoebe or Prue anywhere and knew that they had not summoned her. So the question was, why did she remember being Patty Halliwell.

"Perhaps we all got terribly drunk and we're having some kind of black-out." Giles said as they gathered around the table.

"I don't think I d—drink." Dawn said, trying really hard not to cry.

"I don't see any booze; I don't feel any head bumps; and I don't see Alan Funt." Anya said.

Xander trying hard not to panic took a few deep breaths. "Okay ... I'm not panicking, I'm not, I'm not. Stop looking at me like I'm panicking."

"Hey, take it easy, guy. No one's hurt, right? And none of us looked like we're going to kill each other, so we're probably safe. Here. Wherever here is," Buffy said as she looked around. She had been in magic shops plenty of times to recognize one. She knew she was in one now. The question was where was it.

"Look at the things on these shelves: weird jars of weird stuff and weird books with weird covers like:" Willow said, "'Magic for beginners'. Oh."

"A magic shop. A real magic shop." Tara said, in awe.

"That's probably it. A spell gone awry." Buffy said.

Giles scoffed. "Magic? Magic is all balderdash and chicanery. I'm afraid we don't know a bloody thing. Except I seem to be British, don't I? And a man. With glasses. Well, that narrows it down considerably."

"I don't like this." Dawn said as she started to cry.

Buffy put her arm around Dawn as she tried to comfort the girl. "Listen, it's going to be okay. We'll take care of each other, okay?"

Dawn nodded at Buffy through her tears.

"Yes, we'll get back our memories and everything will be right as rain." Giles said.

"Oh listen to Mary Poppins! Got his crust all stiff and upper with that nancy-boy accent. You Englishmen are always so–" Spike said before realizing he spoke with an accent. "Bloody hell. Sodding blimy shagging knickers bullocks—oh no. I'm English."

"Welcome to the nancy tribe," Giles said.

Spike eyed Giles, a horrible thought creeping in. "You don't suppose ... you and I ... we're not related, are we?"

"There is a ruggedly handsome resemblance." Anya said.

Giles looked at Spike, dismayed. "And you do inspire a particular feeling of familiarity ... and disappointment. Older brother?"

"Well, I'm thinking more like –" Anya said.

"Father!" Spike said, glaring at Giles. "My god how I must hate you."

"What did I do?" Giles asked.

"Oh, there's always something. And what's with the trollop?" Spike said as he indicated Anya.

"Hey!" Anya said.

"Her?" Giles asked.

Spike nodded, "I saw you ... sleeping together."

"Resting together!" Giles said.

"Look!" Anya said as she showed Giles an engagement ring! "It's okay, we're engaged."

Giles looked at Anya, shyly. "Oh."

Anya smiled at Giles. "It's a lovely ring."

"Great, a tarty step-Mum who's half ol' Daddy's age," Spike said.

"Tarty!" Anya said.

"Old! I'm young enough to still get carded—" Giles said.

"Carded! Driver's licenses!" Willow interrupted as they all scramble through their pockets.

Xander pulled his license out of his wallet and held it up. "Look! Me! Alexander Harris. Cute picture. Hey, I exist!"

"I'm Willow Rosenberg. _Willow_!" Willow said as she looked at her UC Sunnydale student ID. "Funny name."

"I think it's pretty," Tara said.

"What do you got?" Willow asked.

"Tara. And look, I'm a student at UC Sunnydale." Tara said as she looked at her UC Sunnydale student ID.

Willow smiled. "Me too! Maybe we're study buddies."

Dawn looked to Buffy. "I don't have a wallet."

"Don't worry, me neither. But here..." Buffy said as she touched a nameplate necklace hanging around Dawn's neck. "You're _Dawn_."

Dawn looked at the necklace. "Or _Umad_ ," she said reading it upside down. She and Buffy smile at each other.

Giles went through his billfold and pulled out his license. "I'm called, let's see, _Rupert Giles_."

"Rupert." Anya said, swoony.

Spike smirked, "Rupert."

"You're not too old to take over my knee ... Son. What did I call you anyway?" Giles said.

Spike patted his back pocket, no wallet. Nothing in his coat pocket either. Then he notice a tailor's label inside the coat. " _Made with care for Randy_ ," he said as he looked at Giles, aghast. " _Randy_ Giles?! Why didn't you just name me _Horny Giles_ or _Desperate-for-a-shag Giles_? I knew there was a reason I hated you!"

"Randy's a family name. Undoubtedly." Giles said.

"I've got a name on my jacket too," Willow said as she reads the embroidery over her heart. " _Harris_."

"Harris? That's my last name. Hey, maybe I have a brother and you go out with him." Xander said. "... or, maybe you go out with me."

"We did wake up all snuggly wuggly. I guess maybe you're my boyfriend." Willow said.

"Either that or I have one pissed off brother out there somewhere." Xander said as he and Willow smiled at each other.

"I'm Anya!" Anya said by the front door, testing a key on the interior lock. "My key fits the lock and I found some forms by the register that said Rupert and Anya own the shop together. That's me. Anya Shop-owner."

"This is our magic shop?" Giles said glancing about. "Well, that's ... very progressive of me. You know it truly is a small mind that fails to acknowledge the, um, alternatives to our rational, scientific understanding of the universe. Oh look! Fancy herbs!"

"So you don't have a name?" Dawn asked Buffy.

Buffy smiled. "Of course I do. I just don't happen to know it."

"You want me to name you?" Dawn asked.

"That's sweet, but I think I can name myself. I'll name me … Patty." Buffy said deciding to use the name she remembered.

"Ug!" Dawn said.

"What? You don't like my name?" Buffy asked.

"It's just so ... blarg. 'Patty'?" Dawn said.

"I like it," Buffy said.

"Fine. That's your purgative." Dawn said.

"Prerogative." Buffy corrected.

"Whatever. _Patty_." Dawn said.

Buffy said and in that moment something nagged at the back of her mind telling her to retaliate. "Whatever. _Umad_ ," she said. "Boy you're a pain in the neck."

"Boy you're bossy." Dawn said looking up at Buffy as an idea struck her. "Do you think we're—"

"Sisters?" Buffy asked having finally understood the nagging at the back of her mind. She was sure it was true as she hugged Dawn.

"You never showed me affection like that. I'd wager." Spike said to Giles.

"We've got to figure out what's going on. We need to get help," Buffy said.

"Looks like _Patty_ fancies herself the boss." Spike said.

"We've got a kid here …" Buffy said ignoring Spike.

"Teenager," Dawn interjected.

"Teenager, and we have no idea what's wrong with us. I think a hospital is our best bet." Buffy said.

"Alright then, let's head out." Giles said as they headed for the door.

"Any suggestions on how we get there?" Buffy asked.

"Dad can drive. He's bound to have some classic mid-life crisis transport: something red, sporty, shaped like a penis." Spike said.

As Buffy opened the front door the two vampires that worked for the demon Spike and Buffy had met the night before snarled and charged!

"AAAAAAAaaaaaa!" Giles, Dawn, Anya, Willow, Tara, Xander and Spike screamed.

Instinctually Buffy brought up her hands and the vampires and the group, save herself and Dawn, froze.

"What happened?" Dawn asked looking around.

Buffy looked at the group at the vampire and the group and shook her head wondering how she still had her powers. "I shouldn't have my powers, but since I do it proves you and I are sisters. Only good witches don't freeze."

"You have your memories?" Dawn asked.

Buffy shook her head. "Not the memories I should have. I was reincarnated after I died. This body is the one I was reincarnated into. I shouldn't remember anything of my former life."

"So that's why you called yourself, Patty?" Dawn asked. "Because that's what you were called back then?"

"Yes. I'm going to unfreeze the room. You need to pretend that no one else froze okay?" Buffy said.

"Why?" Dawn asked.

"Because it risks exposure." Buffy said. "We can't risk exposing that we're real witches."

"Because of things like the Salem witch trials?" Dawn asked as Buffy nodded. "Okay."

Buffy turned back towards the door as she unfroze everyone.

"Slayer!" the first vampire said as Buffy slammed the door shut.

"Did you see what I—" Buffy said playing the innocence card. Of course she knew they were vampires. It had been why she had reacted on instinct and froze everything. She wondered about the word Slayer. She remembered reading something in the Book of Shadows about Slayers, but couldn't remember what.

"Vampires!" Spike said as they crouched down behind the door.

"Maybe it's Halloween." Tara suggested.

Dawn shook her head as she looked at Buffy. "Doesn't feel like Halloween," she said as she smiled at Buffy.

"Even if it is, those were definitely not kids and they were definitely not wearing costumes. Randy's right. We got vampires!" Xander said as the vampires in question banged on the door. "And I don't think they're knockin' for candy."

"Doors! We should check for other doors, make sure they're locked and then put big heavy things in front of them! Come on!" Willow said as she grabbed Xander and disappeared into the back of the shop.

"Monsters are real ... Did we know this?" Buffy said, keeping the fact she knows they are real a secret. The first thing her mother, Penny, had drilled into her was to keep the family secret.

"I don't know. We n—need our memories back! We have to get to the hospital!" Tara said.

Giles nodded. "Speaking as the proprietor of a Magic Shop, I propose we fight back. We can use things here in the shop, magic ... tricks or whatever they call—"

The first vampire slammed against the front window as the second one continued to bang and rattle the front door. "Send out Spike!" the first said.

"They seem to want spikes." Giles said.

"Oh, I saw some ..." Spike said as he scooted over to Giles' desk and grabbed a handful of stakes among the clutter. "Here. Let's give 'em these."

"Wait. What are they going to do—" Dawn said looking at Buffy.

"Slayer! Come out and play!" the second vampire said.

"Slay her! That's just what they said before. They're going to use those spikes—" Tara said.

Buffy thought for a moment as she tried to remember the passage in the Book of Shadows that talks about the Slayer. "To kill a girl," she said as Spike put the stakes in his jacket pocket.

"You guys!" Willow said as she and Xander come running back, breathless. "There's a trapdoor in the basement, seems to lead to the sewer."

"Let's go," Anya said as they headed for the basement. Just then the first vampire bust through the front window.

The first vampire strode around them, blocking their exit. Scared everyone except Buffy scurried into the front corner as she followed them at a more sedate pace keeping herself between the vampire, the innocents and her sister.

The second vampire then broke through the front door.

Xander got down on his knees. "Now I'm not sure what I am, so bear with me here, okay? Um, Now I lay me down to sleep... Shema Israel...uh, Ohm, Ohm."

The first vampire started to break various items in the shop as the second vampire got up in Spike's face.

The second vampire pushed Spike against the wall. "You owe us!" he said as Spike grabbed the stakes in his pocket and tossed them at the vampire's feet.

"Fine! Take the damn spikes!" Spike said.

The second vampire snarled as the stakes clattered to the ground. He took a step closer to Spike. "Don't be stupid."

The first vampire grabbed for Buffy who instinctively froze the room once again. "Stupid vampires."

"Patty?" Dawn asked.

"I'm fine. I just need to unfreeze the room," she said as she unfroze the room.

"I said, you owe us!" the second vampire said to Spike.

"Who, me?" Spike asked.

The second vampire nodded. "You got the boss' kittens!"

"Kittens?" Spike asked confused.

The second vampire lunged at Spike!

Buffy kicked the first vampire in the groin as she grabbed a stake and thrust it into the second vampire's heart.

"Whoa!" Dawn said as the second vampire dusted and then smiled. "Way to go, Patty!"

"What did you just do?" Willow asked, amazed.

Buffy looked at the stake unsure herself. vampires were stronger than humans. She shouldn't have been able to stake one that easily without using her powers to freeze it first. "I don't know."

The first vampire jumped out the broken window. "The boss ain't going to like this. I'll be back and I won't be alone."

Spike went to the front of the shop and pulled a metal security gate across the entrance.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Later four vampires, including the first vampire and the demon surround the outside of the magic shop. "The boys want to taste blood Boss," the first vampire said. "They want to break down the door."

"The _boys_ are barbarians. There's no need for that. The humans will turn on him soon enough. And if not ..." the demon said as he lit a cigarette. "We'll burn the place to the ground."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Inside Buffy peered out the barred window, looking at the gang of vampires. She turned around to face the others. "Okay, I've got a plan."

"All ears." Xander said.

"They seem to want Randy," Buffy said. "And I'm strong. So, while you all go through the sewer and find the hospital, Randy and I'll take the monsters for a run."

"That's your plan?" Spike asked.

Buffy nodded. "Yes."

"Right." Spike said.

"I'm not leaving the shop. I need to protect the cash register and ... do spells." Anya said.

"Perhaps magic can help us. It's worth a shot," Giles said.

Buffy rolled her eyes; very few non-wiccan witches could actually successfully cast a spell she knew. Unless of course they were progenitors. She knew there were no other powered witches other than herself and probably Dawn, she was unsure though if there were any progenitors, since being non-powered witches, the would freeze like anyone else. "Alright. You two work on that then. We gotta go. Ready Randy?"

Spike nodded. "Ready Patty," he said as he and Buffy headed for the door.

"Son?" Giles said.

"Patty?" Dawn said as Buffy and Spike turned towards her and Giles.

"Come here please." Giles said to Spike. Spike walked over to him and is pulled into an embrace.

Buffy walked over to Dawn and smiled. "It'll be alright. I promise."

Dawn hugged Buffy and then nodded. "Okay. But be careful anyways."

"Right." Spike said to Giles.

"Good then." Giles said.

Hastily, embarrassed by this outpouring of emotion, Giles and Spike push each other away.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Buffy and Spike threw open the door and ran right through the pack of vampires who gave chase. Within a few seconds, the vampires are upon them.

"Randy!" Buffy said as one of the vampires grabbed Spike.

Spike threw a punch at the vampire as he morphed his face into is vampiric visage. The Vampire went flying as he turned to Buffy. "Hey! I'm a superhero?"

Buffy frowned as she caught site of Spike's vampiric visage. She would worry about that later, right now she had to lure the other vampires away from the others and her sister. She took off at a run.

"Patty! Where ya goin'?" Spike called out as he chased after her. "Hey Patty, wait up!" He tried desperately to catch up with Buffy as they ran into a residential neighborhood. "Wait up!" He caught up with her and put out his arm and spun her around to face him.

Instinctively and smoothly, Buffy used her momentum to flip Spike backwards, launching herself forward onto him at the same time and pinning him to the ground.

"Bloody hell! What're you doing?" Spike said.

"You don't know who you are." Buffy said.

"Right. None of us do. And we're being chased by the fiendy—" Spike said.

"You're a vampire." Buffy said.

"How could you ..." Spike said. "I ... me a vampire ... Nah ..."

"Check the forehead ... and the teeth." Buffy said as she sat back.

Spike reached up, feeling the bump ridges of his face like a blind man. He then ran his tongue over his fangs. Then he put his fingers to his throat: no pulse.

"I kill your kind." Buffy said. He is a vampire after all which makes him a demon inhabiting a corpse. And in her previous life she had vanquished a vampire or two.

"And I bite yours." Spike said as he looked at her and his ferocious expression melts. "So why don't I want to bite you? And why am I fighting other vampires? I must be a noble vampire. A good guy. On a mission of redemption. I help the hopeless. I'm a vampire with a soul!"

"Oh my god," Buffy said as that was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard, " _a vampire with a soul_?! How lame is that?" She got up letting Spike up.

"I'm a hero, really. I mean, to be cast such an ugly lot but then to rise above it, to seek better, nobler things. It's inspiring, in'it?" Spike said as he looked at Buffy who watched him, expressionless. "And the two of us! Natural enemies thrown together to stand against the forces of darkness! Utter trust! No thought of me biting you. No thought of you staking me ..."

"Kinda depends on how long you keep on talking—" Buffy said as she heard the demons approaching. She turned to see the four vampires followed by the demon.

"You know what you're doing?" Spike asked.

Buffy nodded. "Yes."

"Why if it isn't Mr. Spike and the Slayer," the demon said. "It seems there was some miscommunication between us. Somehow you've killed three of my vampires."

Buffy finally remembered what was written in the Book of Shadows. The Slayer was generally a mortal chosen by the Powers that Be, a neutral group–neither good nor evil, to fight the forces of darkness alone. While her family had been gifted with magic to do the same, the Slayer she remembered had been gifted with strength and agility to do the same without needing magic.

"Hey, so no big deal, they're a dime a dozen. But you know? You still haven't paid me my kittens. And that's okay too," the demon said. "Because you'll pay me now. At 'em, boys!"

And the vampires attacked!

Two jump Spike while the other two took on Buffy

Buffy dealt out a couple blows before getting socked in the jaw. She kicked them away as she broke off a nearby mailbox and dusts a vamp with the mailbox post.

Spike head butt another vampire, who collapsed. He pulled pulls a stake from his jacket and drove it into the vampires heart.

Buffy kicked another vampire who staggered back towards Spike. Spike hit the vampire and he ricocheted back towards Buffy. She drove a stake through the vampire's heart.

Suddenly Buffy stopped as memories began to flood her mind; who she really was, her mother's death, heaven, hell on earth. She stood there frozen with the conflicting memories playing at he, the ones from Buffy Summers and the ones from Patricia Halliwell. She remembered both lives now.

The first vampire kicked Buffy in the face sending her sprawling back onto the pavement. She tried to sit up but the memories overwhelm her, making her dizzy and sick.

"Buffy ..." Spike said as he remembers who he is and looked over at Buffy. "Buff—" Empowered by fury, he grabbed the vampires by their scalps and crushed their skulls together. They crumple to the pavement as he staked them. "From dust ... To dust."

"You're an odd duck, Mr. Spike ..." the demon said as Spike whirled to face him. "Fighting your own kind. Palling around with a Slayer. And, whoa, that suit! Chutzpah must be your middle name."

Spike walked towards the demon, slowly, purposefully.

The demon looked around and noted he was alone, that all his vampires were dust. "Uh, hey, look... About our little debt problem ... It's okay. I don't need the kittens."

Spike grabbed the demon by the collar. "You'll get paid. I'm no welsher," he said as he released the demon.

The demon smiled. "Right, sure. You're good for it. I know that. So, I'll just, uh ... Yeah." He backed away from Spike and then hurried off into the night.

Spike walked over to Buffy and offered to help her up from where she still lay on the ground. "You alright?"

Buffy ignored the hand and stood up. She slowly walked away, leaving Spike alone.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

A few days later Buffy entered the front door of the Summers home to find Dawn waiting. "Hi, Dawn."

"I'm just curious, Buffy. Do you still have …?" Dawn said.

Buffy shrugged. "I haven't tried. I remember Patty's life so I know how to control the power. I've just have been kind of scared on what it all means if I tried to use it."

"Then try it." Dawn said.

Buffy nodded as they heard Willow come down the stairs. She raised her hands and froze the room. The footsteps on the stairs suddenly stopped. They look up and saw Willow was frozen.

"I guess that's a yes, Buffy." Dawn said.

Buffy nodded, "I guess it is. I wonder why Willow is frozen though."

"Why?" Dawn asked.

"Good witches don't freeze, remember?" Buffy said. "She could be a progenitor."

"Progenitor?" Dawn asked.

"A witch who is the beginnings of a new magical line," Buffy said. "It would explain how she can be a witch and still be frozen."

"So why am I not frozen?" Dawn asked.

"Remember the monks made your from me. Right?" Buffy said and Dawn nodded. "That means they had to use some of my blood and there is something in the blood that makes me a witch. Which means you likely have powers too. You just don't know how to access them. We'll find out though." She the unfroze the room and seconds later Willow joined them in the living room. They could see she had been crying again, as Tara had left her. "How are you doing, Will?"


	2. Chapter 1: Charmed

**Author's Note:** I am trying to put spells in italics to try and distinguish them from normal dialogue. So if you see something in italics, it could very well be a spell.

 ** _Eros-Blane:_** Yes, Buffy's powers will evolve, no they will not evolve like Piper's. Buffy's next power will be revealed during A Witch's Tail. And it will be one she actually has had since the beginning of the story, it was actually one of Prue's powers.

 _ **Duff Jessica:**_ Abrupt? Maybe a little. But it does lead a little into this chapter. As the first scene with Buffy, Dawn and Willow does address what was left unanswered at the end of the Prologue.

 _ **Amelousen:**_ Yeah Tara shouldn't have froze, she should have been a gifted witch. I forgot her backstory, that her mother was also a witch, when I did the prologue. If or when I get around to rewriting the prologue I will change that.

 ** _Janus God of Possibiltiies_** and _**Rockstar Marie:**_ I'm leaning more toward Sam, myself. Have been since I started working on this story last year. But I would be remiss if I didn't consider Victor also, given the fact Patty and Victor had been married and there would have been some feelings even now. Especially from what we have seen in canon Charmed, they both are on very good terms, despite Patty being dead.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Charmed**

At 1329 Prescott in San Francisco, Piper Halliwell sat in her attic as tears ran down her cheeks. She flipped through the Book of Shadows and stop at the Power of Three spell. " _Hear now the words of the witches, the secrets we hid in the night. The oldest of Gods are invoked here, the great magic is sought,_ " she chanted as a candle flicked, but nothing else happened. "In this night and in this hour, I call upon the ancient power." She looked up and closed her eyes. "Bring back my sister. Bring back the Power of Three."

Piper kept her eyes closed for a moment and opened them looking at the candle. She started flipping through pages until she found another spell, To Call a Lost Witch. She mixed rosemary, cypress, yarrow root into a silver bowl as she chanted again from the book. " _Power of the witches' rise. Course unseen across the skies. Come to us, we call you near. Come to us and settle here._ " Then, she grabbed and an athame and sliced her finger and let several drops of blood fall into the bowl. "Blood to blood, I summon thee. Blood to blood, return to me."

A faint gust of wind flickered the candle, but not much else. She buried her face in her hands in defeat.

"Piper?" Phoebe said as Piper looked up, hopeful.

"Prue?" Piper looked at the candle just as Phoebe walked through the attic door.

"Sweetie, it four o'clock in the morning. What are you doing?" Phoebe asked with no response. She noticed the cut on Piper's finger and grabbed a towel. "You're bleeding."

"I don't understand why magic can't fix this," Piper said as Phoebe wrapped the towel around her finger. "And why we can't bring Prue back. It's not like we haven't cheated death before. I don't understand why this time isn't any different."

"Because Leo can't heal the dead, Piper. You know that," Phoebe said.

"There's other magic, magic that we've used before," Piper said as she flipped through the pages. "Scrying, calling a lost witch, reversing time. It's like the book just deserted us and deserted Prue, and I don't understand why."

Phoebe took Piper's other hand and held them both, sharing her sister's pain. "We lost our sister. How can we ever understand that? We've tried every magical way to bring her back … but we can't. She's gone," she said as she and Piper fall into each other's arms at the realization of the harsh reality. "I just—I thank God that I didn't lose you too." She gave Piper a little kiss before breaking the embrace and sighed. "We have to get some rest. Prue will never forgive us if we look bad at her funeral."

Piper couldn't help but smile through the tears. She closed the Book of Shadows and then she and Phoebe walked out of the attic arm-in-arm.

As they shut the door behind them they don't notice a mysterious wind blowing through the attic as the triquetra, on the cover of the Book, began to glow. The mysterious wind re-opened the book to the _To Call a Lost Witch_ spell...

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

At the Summers residence in Sunnydale, Buffy sat with Dawn two hours later watching a little TV. Suddenly a mysterious wind blew through the living room and a newspaper fell into Buffy's lap.

Dawn was the first to notice the newspaper. "Buffy?" she said looking down at the newspaper.

Buffy followed Dawn's gaze as she glanced down at the paper. She saw that the newspaper was open to the obituary section, and that it was informing them about Prue Halliwell's death. She stared at the obituary. Ever since Willow's spell she had remembered more and more of Patty's life.

"Buffy?" Dawn repeated.

"Patty's daughter, Prue died." Buffy said.

"Are we going?" Dawn asked.

Buffy looked at her sister and sighed. She didn't have an answer. On the one hand she did indeed remember Prue, being hers, or rather Patty's, daughter. On the other hand Prue was no relation to them, of that she was sure. "I don't know, Dawn," she said. "They're not our family. They are hers."

"They might be ours, too," Dawn argued. "You have the power you had in Patty's life. Doesn't that mean somehow you're related to them?"

"It could simply be a coincidence, Dawn. In fact I'm sure of it. Mom was not related to them. I know that for a fact. Patty was an only child." Buffy said as Willow walked down the stairs and into the living room. "Morning, Will. We didn't wake you did we?"

Willow shook her head, "No. I just … I have trouble sleeping without Tara beside me. So what's going on?"

"We were thinking about going to a funeral." Dawn blurted out before Buffy could stop her.

"Really? Whose?" Willow said as she picked up the newspaper out of Buffy's lap. "Prue Halliwell in San Francisco? I didn't know you knew anyone in San Francisco."

Buffy looked at Dawn for a second and then let out a sigh. "Will, your spell that wiped everyone's memories," she said. "Had a side-effect."

"What?" Willow asked. "What side-effect?"

"Buffy lied to us," Dawn said," saying she had no memories during that spell."

"I had memories. Memories of a past life." Buffy added.

"Past life?" Willow said. "You think you were this Prue Halliwell?"

Buffy shook her head. "No. I was her mother."

"But…" Willow said her eyes wide in shock.

"It's true, Will," Buffy said. "I can remember all of Patty's life because I lived it. Patty after she died was given the chance to go on to heaven or return and continue the fight. She chose to return and was reborn as me. When you cast your spell last week it awakened the memories of that life as well as unlocking her power."

"Power?" Willow asked.

"I'm a witch, now, Willow." Buffy said. "With a magical power. Dawn here is also a witch because she was made from me, and probably because she is my sister."

"But you've never done magic before." Willow said.

Buffy held up her hands immediately freezing the room and Willow.

"Buffy," Dawn said wondering why Buffy had just froze their friend.

"Just a second, Dawn." Buffy said as she only unfroze Willow's head. "So…"

"Why can't I move?" Willow asked as she looked down at her immobile body.

"Because I used my power on you, Willow. I froze you and then unfroze only your head. That way you can see I was telling you the truth." Buffy said.

Willow nodded as Buffy unfroze her completely. "So the memories and the power came back when I cast my spell? Is that why you seem a lot better than you were before…"

"When we were all singing?" Buffy said and Willow nodded. "Yeah. The memories of being Patty helped me put things in perspective. I'm still remembering things but what I do remember so far has helped me." She paused for a second as she looked at the obit in Willow's hands and came to a decision. "Would you like to go to the funeral, Willow? It will help you get your mind off Tara for a bit. And it could possibly help me further in maybe trying to figure out why I remember her life."

Willow sighed. "I don't know," she said. She thought about it for a few moments and then finally nodded. "Alright. When's the funeral?"

"Seven hours from now. If we get ready now we could arrive there with little time to spare." Buffy said.

And so Buffy, Dawn and Willow got ready and Willow drove them down to San Francisco. They arrived at the cemetery with fifteen minutes to spare.

They made their way inside the mausoleum where the ceremony was to be held. Willow and Dawn sat at the back as Buffy walked up to the front to the ivory-colored coffin that sat on a pedestal amongst the flowers. "Hello, my darling. I wish I was there to welcome you with open arms."

Just then Phoebe stepped up next to Buffy. "Hi."

Buffy looked at Phoebe and smiled. "Hello."

"Did you know Prue?" Phoebe asked.

"Only in passing," Buffy said. _At least in this life_ , she thought. "You're her sister… Phoebe, right?"

Phoebe nodded. "Yes, I am. "

"I'm sorry for your loss." Buffy said as she held out her hand and Phoebe shook it.

"Thank you." Phoebe said.

Buffy turned and walked back to Willow and Dawn.

"Who was that, Buffy?" Dawn asked as her sister sat next to her.

"Phoebe." Buffy said. "She is Patty's third child just after Piper." She remembered that Patty had a fourth child that Patty and her Whitelighter Sam had given up at birth. "I don't even know the name of her fourth daughter. Sam and I gave her up for adoption shortly after she was born."

"Why?" Willow asked.

"There was this prophecy that Prue, Piper and Phoebe would become the Charmed Ones. She was the daughter of Patty and my Whitelighter, Sam. Witch-Whitelighter relationships were forbidden to begin with. To have a daughter would have just been the icing on the cake. We feared that the girls wouldn't be allowed their powers if the Elders knew about her so we gave her up." Buffy said.

"So what's a Whitelighter?" Dawn asked.

"A Whitelighter is a person who did extraordinary good in life and after death they are allowed to continue by guiding witches and future Whitelighters." Buffy said. "And the Elders are their bosses.

"How come I don't have one?" Willow asked.

"Because you're not a gifted witch." Buffy said. "When I say gifted I mean with powers like mine. You're what is considered to be a witch progenitor. You can cast spells but don't have a power. Your children will develop powers. And they will have a Whitelighter."

Buffy watched as Victor, followed by Piper, Leo, Cole and Darryl head to the front and sit next to Phoebe. "Victor."

"Who's he?" Willow asked.

"Patty's ex-husband." Buffy said. "We got divorced when I fell in love with Sam."

"Buffy, did you notice you slip between talking about Patty as if she is another person and then referring to yourself as her." Dawn said.

Buffy looked at her sister as she thought over it for a moment and then nodded, "I guess since I got the memories of Patty's life I have been coming to the conclusion that I am her. Just as much as I am me."

Just then an ivory-dressed, Wiccan Priestess walked to the front of the mausoleum and stood before the blue silk covered altar table next to the coffin. "That which belongs to fellowship and love," she said. "That which belongs to the circle, remains with us. The wheel turns. As life is a day, so our sister has passed into night. Nothing is final, and we who remain behind know that one day, we will once again share the bread and wine with our sister. O' blessed spirit, we bid you farewell, for you await a new destiny."

With that, the Priestess untied a silver cord and gently lay it into a chalice. She then blew out three candles on the altar. They watched as Darryl went over to Piper and Phoebe to hug them. And then the rest of the mourners began to file past Leo, Phoebe and Piper to pay their respects.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," said a woman ahead of Buffy, Willow and Dawn.

"Thank you." Phoebe said as the woman began to leave. "How did you know Prue? From work?"

"No. Just … just from around, you know," the woman said.

"Have we met before?" Phoebe asked.

The woman shook her head. "No. I don't … I don't think so. Anyway, my condolences."

"Thank you." Phoebe said as she shook the woman's hand and then suddenly gasped out.

"She's having a premonition," Buffy whispered to Willow and Dawn.

"You mean she's got powers like you?" Willow asked.

Buffy nodded. "There are three powers that have been handed down through the descendants of the Warren line. The power to freeze, the power of telekinesis and the power of premonition. Let's get out of here before they see us."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Because it was getting late, Willow decided she didn't want to drive back to Sunnydale that night. So they got a hotel room and stayed in San Francisco. The next day as they were getting ready to head back to Sunnydale, Buffy collapsed suddenly and unexplicably to the floor unconscious.

"Buffy!" Dawn called out as she tried to wake her sister.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

At the Halliwell Manor Piper, followed by Leo, Cole and Phoebe walked in to the attic and went over to the Book of Shadows.

"What's going on?" Phoebe asked.

"I'm going to ask Grams what's going on, actually." Piper said.

"Grams?" Phoebe said, confused.

"Mm-hmm," Piper said as she nodded her head. "Your destiny still awaits, she said. There's a reason for everything, she said. So, it's time to summon her transparent butt back here and find out exactly what that reason is."

"Okay, but what should …" Phoebe said.

" _Here these words. Hear my cry spirit from the other side. Come to me, I summon thee. Cross now the Great Divide!_ " Piper chanted as Grams appeared before them.

"Piper?" Gram said. "Why are you calling? P-Phoebe, wha-what's going on?"

"Grams, why does the Source think that the Charmed Ones can be reconstituted?" Piper asked.

"I do—I don't know what you're talking about." Grams said.

Piper shook her head. "You know what, Grams? You were a lousy liar when you were alive, and now as a ghost, you're worse."

"If you know something, Grams, you have to tell us. We deserve to know," Phoebe said.

"I can't. I'm sworn to secrecy." Grams said.

"By who?" Phoebe asked.

"By me."

Just then Buffy appeared standing beside Grams. "By me," she said. She looked down and realized there was a glamour on her. She thought it over and just barely nodded as she thought it over. She knew that Piper, Phoebe and even Prue would have found it suspicious if she showed up looking like herself. So there had to be a spell placed upon her that activated anytime the girls summoned her that would make her look like Patty.

"Mom?" Piper said.

"We didn't tell anybody because we were afraid that there would be reprisals, afraid that, you girls would be denied your powers. Your birthright. It happened after your father and I were divorced, when Sam and I were together." Buffy said.

"Sam?" Cole asked Leo.

"Her Whitelighter." Leo said.

"Hmm. Apples don't fall far from the forbidden tree, I see." Cole said.

"Shh!" Piper said as she looked to Buffy. "Go on."

"You were both toddlers. You just thought Mommy got a little fat." Buffy smiled. "You never knew I was pregnant."

"I was the only one who knew." Grams said.

Buffy nodded. "And Sam, obviously."

"Right. Well, yes, of course." Grams said.

"We wanted to keep the baby, of course. But mother –" Buffy said.

Grams nodded, "Well, I—I knew it would be disastrous. You know, before you and Leo, Piper, it wasn't just forbidden. It was unthinkable for witches to be with Whitelighters. I mean, let alone have children with them."

"So, that's why we had to—why we decided … to give the baby up. Sam and I took her to a local church as soon as she was born. And we asked the nun there to find a home for her, and she found one. A very, very good home." Buffy said wondering how she knew this all. She was sure that somehow the part of her mind that was Patty Halliwell was filling in all the blanks in her ever growing memory.

"Yes." Grams said.

"Explains why the Elders didn't know about her," Leo said as he looked at the sisters.

"All right, hold it. Wait just one minute. Are you telling me, that girl, our innocent, is really … our sister?" Phoebe asked.

Buffy nodded. "Your baby sister."

"Their baby half-sister." Grams said.

"But by my half, which makes her a sister witch," Buffy said. "Well, actually, not yet anyway. Not until all three of you are here together by the Book. Just like before."

"Charmed. Again." Grams said.

"And I thought my family was screwed up." Cole said as Piper gave him a look.

Just then a man walked into the attic, followed by Darryl. "Well, I'll be damned."

"Darryl, do something!" Piper said.

"He's a cop, Piper. And he's got a search warrant," Darryl said.

"And believe me, I've found what I've been searching for," Cortez said as Cole moved slightly towards him. "Ah-ah-ah-ah. Don't move. I'll shoot."

"Then so will I." Cole said.

"Cole …" Leo said.

"Okay Inspector, just put the gun down. There is a very good explanation for all of this. Feel free to chime in anytime, guys," Phoebe said.

"My whole life, I suspected evil magic was real, that there was something more. I've seem too many horrible things in the job to suspect otherwise, not the least of which are the two murders that happened here." Cortez said.

"Wait. Are you accusing us?" Piper asked.

Cortez smiled, "I've just begun to accuse you, lady!"

"All right, fine. You caught us. Congratulations. So what are you gonna do about it? Shoot us?" Grams said.

"Easy, Grams. Not all of us are dead, remember?" Phoebe said.

"All right, look, you can't arrest us," Leo said as he motioned towards Buffy and Grams, "especially not them. Nobody will ever believe you."

"Maybe not at first. I'm putting this whole place under constant surveillance. I'm taping your every move. Sooner or later, I'll catch you doing something uh, supernatural, and then…" Cortez said as Darryl knocked him out with the butt of his gun.

"I think you've been through enough, huh?" Darryl said.

"Thank you." Piper said.

Phoebe walks over to Darryl. "Darryl, go, get out of here. We don't want you to take the fall for this."

"No, it's okay." Darryl said, shaking his head.

"No, it's not. This is our problem. He wants to expose us, not you. Let us take care of this, please?" Phoebe said.

Darryl nodded, "If you need me, you know where to find me, huh?"

Phoebe nodded and turned to Cole as Darryl left the manor.

"It doesn't solve your problem. He's gonna wake up eventually. You've just bought yourself some time." Cole said.

"What you're gonna need, especially if you're wanna save your…" Leo said.

"Sister?" Phoebe asked.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Just write a spell. Get rid of him." Grams said.

"Uh, get rid of him?" Phoebe asked.

Grams nodded. "Well, you know what I mean. Dump him somewhere. Anywhere. With all the witches in this room, we ought to be able to do something with him. I mean, just start rhyming. _Uh, take him back, take him away. Remove him now. Don't let him stay._ " She gestured to Phoebe.

"Oh. Uh. _We call the spirits to help undo and send him off to … Timbuktu_." Phoebe said as Cortez vanished. "Whoa. It worked."

"Timbuktu? You sent him to Timbuktu?" Piper said.

Phoebe shrugged. "All right, well, it was the only thing I could think of that rhymed with undo."

"Don't worry. Uh, I'll find him." Cole said and shimmered out.

"Okay, well this is way too much for me to handle. Way too much," Piper said.

"Nobody can blame you for being angry, sweetie," Buffy said.

"Angry? Yeah, I'm angry. Um, I'm confused and you know what? This—this is just crazy. You cannot float in here after all these years and go, _Oh gosh, I forgot, by the way, you've got a sister_. Especially not today of all days." Piper said.

"I know it's a lot, sweetie. More than anybody should have to deal with, but you're going to have to deal with it the best way you know how. Losing Prue, learning about another sister ... this is your, path. This is your destiny. Get angry at it, cry about it, but don't fight it. Or it'll consume you." Buffy said.

"Come on, Patty. The rest is up to them." Grams said as she and Buffy disappeared.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

At the hotel Buffy's eyes blinked opened and she looked around as she got her bearings. She glanced down at her body and realized she was back in her own body.

"Buffy are you okay?" Dawn asked.

"Where's Willow?" Buffy asked as she got up.

"Going down to the lobby to get some help," Dawn said. "You've been unconscious for thirty minutes."

Buffy got up and ran out the door and down to the lobby, "Will."

Willow turned to face Buffy and smiled. "Hey, you're awake."

"Go renew the room, we're not leaving." Buffy said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Short time later back in their motel room Buffy sat on one of the two beds next to Dawn. "What I believe happened was astral projection. The ability to project my consciousness outside of my body. I believe anytime the girls summoned me that is what happened. I would astral project to them as Patty. During that time I would have full access to my memories and when I returned to my body I would forget."

"So you were with them when you fainted?" Willow asked.

Buffy nodded, "And from what I gather to them I looked like Patty. I was telling them about their other sister. The one I mentioned giving up for adoption. Something is going on. I think she's in trouble. And Piper and Phoebe need to find her so they can reform the Power of Three."

"Then where do we start?" Dawn said.

"The church I left her at." Buffy said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Several hours later Buffy, Dawn and Willow enter St. Patrick's and walked toward a nun.

"Hello, are you Sister Agnes?" Buffy asked

Sister Agnes nodded. "Yes. And who might you be?"

"My name is Buffy Summers I am looking for a girl that was left here on August 2nd, 1977. I was hoping you could tell me what family she was adopted into." Buffy said.

"That would be me." The woman from the funeral said as she walked up behind them. "Why are you looking for me?"

"It's a long complicated story. Maybe we should all go someplace private." Buffy said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Several minutes later; Buffy, Dawn, Willow, the woman—Paige and Sister Agnes were in a little office. Paige had explained on the way to the office why she had come. That she was looking for information on her birth parents.

"I was just about your age, when they came," Sister Agnes said as she retrieved a box and put it on the table between Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Paige and herself.

Buffy nodded as she pictured what happened in her mind. She could see it clearly as if it had just been yesterday.

"They? My mother and my father?" Paige asked.

Sister Agnes nodded, "They came in a swirl of bright white lights just like, angels."

Dawn looked to Buffy as if to ask is that right? Buffy simply nodded.

"White lights. What do you mean?" Paige asked.

"Well, that's how they appeared, with you in their arms! I was stunned. I—I didn't know what to think. They said that you were in great danger, that they had no other choice but to give you up, to protect you." Sister Agnes said.

"Danger? What kind of danger?" Dawn asked looking at Buffy.

"They never said." Buffy said.

Sister Agnes looked at Buffy quizzically, "She's right, they didn't say."

Buffy leaned over and whispered in Dawn's ear. "It was because of what I told you and Willow yesterday about mine and Sam's relationship being forbidden."

"But I could tell from their pain that it must be very real," Sister Agnes continued as she returned her gaze to Paige. "They asked me to find you a good home, a safe home, and to keep their secret … until you came looking."

"But how could they know?" Paige asked.

"Because you come from them, my dear. As wonderful and precious as your adoptive parents were to you, you still come from angels," Sister Agnes said as she reached into the box and pulled out a blanket with the letter P on it.

Buffy smiled at the familiar blanket. Patty had given one each to Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Paige.

"They asked me to save this for you for this day. It's what they bundled you up in. Your mother had only one request—that your name began with a P." Sister Agnes said as someone knocked on the office door. She looked up to see Piper and Phoebe standing in the doorway. "Yes, may I help …"

"Hi." Piper said as she froze Sister Agnes and Willow. "Hey, what's up? We need to get you out of here."

"What did you do to them?" Paige asked.

"Oh, she just froze Sister Agnes and Willow. They'll be fine." Buffy said.

Piper and Phoebe looked at each other wondering why Buffy hadn't froze. They noticed that Dawn too had not frozen and frowned slightly. Were these two witches or upper level demons who were immune to her power? They decided to worry about them later, it was better to get Paige out of there before the Source came after Paige.

"Yeah. Lucky I didn't blow her up. My powers have been a little off lately." Piper said.

"Piper." Phoebe said as she pointed at the blanket Paige held.

"Is that our blanket?" Piper said as she reached for the blanket.

Paige shook her head as she pulled the blanket away from Piper. "No! That's mine! Leave me alone!" she said as she left the room.

"All right! Gee." Piper said as she and Phoebe followed Paige.

A second later Buffy and Dawn exited the office as well.

"Paige. Paige. Paige," Phoebe said.

"Stop or I'll freeze!" Piper said as Paige turned to face her and Phoebe.

"She's a good witch. You can't freeze her." Dawn said, remembering what Buffy had told her.

Piper and Phoebe looked at Dawn and shook their heads.

"Will you please just leave me alone?" Paige asked as she continued to walk towards the front door.

"Look, we know what you're going through," Phoebe said. "We went through the same thing when we first found out we were witches, too."

"Look. You just gotta trust us. Somebody very, very bad is after you." Piper said as Paige turned to face them again.

"Trust you?" Paige asked. "You just froze a nun!" she said before pointing at Buffy and Dawn. "And their friend! How do I know you're not the bad ones?"

"Well if we are, then you are, sister." Piper said.

Phoebe sighed. "Piper."

"What? Fine. Then you try." Piper said.

"You have a magical power, you know." Phoebe said. "Mmm. At least, if you're really a Charmed One, you do. And the sooner you learn it, the sooner you'll be able to protect yourself."

"I have a power?" Paige asked.

"According to the prophecy, the third sister has the power to move things with her mind," Buffy said.

Again Piper and Phoebe looked to Buffy and Dawn wondering how they knew so much about them.

"Like Prue did," Phoebe said as she and Piper turned back to Paige.

"How does it work?" Paige asked.

"You concentrate on an object like that candle right there." Phoebe said and she points at the candle a few feet away. "And then you just wave your arm at it." She demonstrated and waved her arm.

Paige waved her arm at a candle but nothing happened. She looked back to Piper and Phoebe.

"Or, uh, you could squint with your eyes. She used to squint with her eyes." Piper said.

Paige waved her hand at the candle and squinted but still nothing happened. "Well, maybe I'm not one of you after all if I can't even make that candle…" She raised her hand in the candle's direction. The candle orbed out and back in, in Paige's outstretched hand. She then handed the candle slowly to Phoebe. "Oh."

"So perhaps the Whitelighter in her makes it work differently?" Phoebe said as she blew out the candle and set it aside.

"Half-breed." Piper said

Buffy bit her lip to stop herself from scolding Piper.

Just then they all heard a noise coming from just outside the doors.

"What is that?" Dawn wondered.

"I don't know." Piper said as the front doors opened.

"Paige." They noticed a man was half kneeling, half laying down on the steps leading up to the front of the church.

"Shane?" Paige said as she rushed to help him up. "What's the matter? My god, what happened?"

"I don't know. Someone's after me." Shane said as Paige helped him up.

"Paige!" Phoebe said as she and Piper ran after Paige.

"Come on. Let's get out of here." Paige said.

"Paige! Come back!" Phoebe said as Shane turned and fired a red bolt at her and Piper. They screamed as they were sent flying backwards, landing at the front of the church by Buffy and Dawn. "Whoo!"

"What the hell was that?" Piper asked.

"Piper Penelope Halliwell!" Buffy said. "Language."

Piper looked to Phoebe and then to Buffy and frowned. "How do you know my name?"

Buffy sighed as she looked at Dawn who nodded encouragingly. "This is not how I intended to reveal things. If I even revealed this to you. But here we are. I'm your mother."

Piper and Phoebe laughed as they thought Buffy had to be delusional.

"Yeah right lady," Piper said as Sister Agnes and Willow walked out of the church office.

Buffy turned as she raised her hands and froze Sister Agnes and Willow. She turned back to Phoebe and Piper and tried to explain, "Patricia Halliwell had the power to freeze just like you, Piper," she said. Piper and Phoebe's eyes widen as they look at the frozen Sister Agnes and Willow. "Penelope Halliwell, your Grams, had the power of telekinesis just like Prue. And, Phoebe, you have the power of premonition. When I was pregnant with you, Phoebe, I had a premonition of the two of you and Prue. I had thought you were warlocks instead of witches. You had come back in time to stop the pact I had made with Nicholas. Shall I go on?"

"If you're really our mother," Piper said. "How come when we talked to Grams earlier you came also as a spirit?"

"Astral projection." Buffy said. "I astral projected out of my body because of your spell. The reason I appeared as the woman you recognize is because I assume there is a spell on me. Before you ask. I told you about Paige. How Sam and I gave her up. Because we feared you would be denied your powers."

Phoebe looked to Piper. "She may be telling the truth, Piper. How else could she know what mom said in the attic when we summoned her and Grams. Or what happened when we went back in time to stop the pact?"

Piper smiled and then hugged Buffy. "Hi, mom."

Dawn coughed. "Buffy?"

"Who is she?" Piper asked, quizzically as she looked at Dawn.

Buffy smiled. "This is my sister, Dawn. I guess in a way she could be considered your aunt."

"Is that why she didn't freeze?" Phoebe asked. "She's a witch like us?"

"Yes, Dawn's a witch. We don't know what her power is though. By the way as you likely know there are other witches out there. What you didn't likely know is there are Progenitors," Buffy said. "Progenitors are like Charlotte Warren, able to use magic with no active powers. Our friend here …" she motioned towards Willow "… is a witch but she is the beginning of a new magical line. Her children will have powers even though she doesn't. I think we should finish this discussion at the Manor. Don't you?"

Piper and Phoebe nodded as Buffy unfroze Willow and Sister Agnes and then they left the church.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Back at the Manor Piper and Phoebe sat across from Buffy, Dawn and Willow while Cole and Leo paced between them.

"So the Source was there, at the church?" Leo asked.

Buffy nodded, "The gargoyles weren't exactly whistling Dixie."

Leo looked to Willow, Buffy and Dawn, "Who are they?" he asked for the umpteenth time. So far Piper and Phoebe had been tight lipped about the three women. He wondered if they were innocents, other witches or what.

"Ask us later," Phoebe said.

"Anywys, something pretty powerful knocked us on our asses." Piper said.

"But if he was there, why didn't he try to kill Paige?" Cole asked as he sat down.

"Maybe he didn't want to go up against the Charmed Ones." Piper said.

Buffy shook her head. "No, that doesn't make sense. He knows that Paige would be new to her powers. If ever there was a time to attack…"

"She's right," Cole agreed.

"Wait a minute. What if he's not trying to kill her anymore? What if he's trying to lure her to his side?" Leo said.

"Translation please?" Phoebe asked.

"The mythological window." Cole said.

Leo nodded, "There's a window of opportunity, an opening."

"48 hours." Cole said.

"Right, 48 hours where a nascent witch who hasn't chosen to use her powers for good or evil yet can be swayed either way." Leo said as he sat down on the arm of the sofa next to Piper.

"Wait, so all he has to do is cast a spell on her?" Dawn asked.

Cole shook his head. "No, he can't. It has to be her choice, but he can tempt her, entice her. If he gets her to use her powers for evil…"

"She becomes evil forever." Leo said as Phoebe sighed.

"Who makes up these cockamamie rules?" Piper asked Cole looked down and Leo looked up. "Oh, never mind…"

"Okay, so we have less than 24 hours to get to Paige and no idea how to find her." Phoebe said.

"But I bet the Source does," Piper said as she stood up.

"Before we go," Leo said.. "Who are they?"

Piper sighed and motioned towards Buffy, "Leo, meet your mother-in-law."

Leo looked to Buffy, "What? She looks nothing like Patty."

"That's because I was reincarnated." Buffy said.

"But we've seen her spirit." Leo said.

"Astral projection." Buffy said. "I astral projected and appeared in the form you all would recognize. Cole you said when Piper summoned Grams and me that apples don't fall far from the tree when you found out that Sam and I had been in a relationship. Then Piper told you to be quiet and then asked me to continue."

Cole nodded, "That is what happened."

"Why wasn't I told? Why were we led to believe you were up there?" Leo asked.

"I was given the opportunity to either go to my final rest or to continue on. I chose to continue to fight for the greater good." Buffy said. "So I was reincarnated as Buffy Summers, a Potential."

Leo's eyes went wide as he realized who Buffy was. "You're the Slayer?" he asked.

"What's a Slayer?" Phoebe asked.

"One girl destined to fight the forces of darkness. She doesn't have magical powers. She has other gifts to help her though." Leo said. "That doesn't explain how you remember your past life."

"That was my fault." Willow said. "I cast a spell to help Buffy forget something that was troubling her. The spell didn't work like it was supposed to and unlocked not only Patty's memories but her powers as well."

"What? Powers?" Leo asked.

"I have my powers, Leo." Buffy said. "I don't know if the Elders did that so when I was summoned by the girls I would have access to them or what." She raised her hands and froze Cole and then unfroze his head only.

"Why can't I move?" Cole asked.

Leo looked to Piper who shook her head indicating she hadn't froze him. He then looked to Buffy and sighed. With all the evidence he had to conclude that Buffy had at one time been Patricia Halliwell.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Later in the attic Cole looked through the attic window at Cortez, who was leaning against his car.

"I never thought I would ever see this book again." Buffy said as she, Piper, Phoebe and Leo looked at the Book.

"Are you sure you don't want me to turn Belthazor loose on Cortez just for a minute or two?" Cole said.

Buffy shook her head as she looked at Phoebe, "I can't believe your dating a demon."

"No. He doesn't have anything on the girls yet. Besides, now is no time to be blurring the line between good and evil." Leo said.

Phoebe sighed and looked at Buffy, "Look who's talking, _Mom_. You dated your Whitelighter in your last life." She closed the Book with a sigh. "This is useless."

Buffy smiled and opened the book and flipped to a page. "How about an enchantment spell."

"Wait. How is this gonna help find her?" Phoebe asked.

Piper looked at the page Buffy had flipped to and then at Buffy and smiled. "Well, maybe it's not to find Paige. Maybe it's so we can ID the Source. See the last line? It's, 'So she can reveal the evil within.'"

"Exactly Piper," Buffy said.

Phoebe shook her head, "But that'll only help if we can find him?"

"Maybe we can, or at least, maybe you can." Leo said and he looked at Cole.

"What does he mean?" Willow asked.

Cole walked toward them as he cleared his throat. "Demons can sense the Source's aura. It's how he reminds us of his power, his reach. Maybe if I focus on it…"

"Then he'll know you're doing it. And he'll find you." Phoebe said.

"Not if I was careful," Cole argued as he turned and headed back to the window. "It's your only chance at saving your sister."

"Okay. We need something to enchant." Buffy said.

"Right, um…" Phoebe said as everyone looked around. Then she spotted a pair of kid's sunglasses. "Oh!" She went over to the shelf and picked them before returning to the others. "How about these?"

"Oh Phoebe," Piper said with a roll of her eyes.

"What? They're perfect." Phoebe said.

"Didn't I get those for you, Piper?" Buffy asked.

Piper shook her head. "They were Prue's," she said. She still wasn't sure if she believed that Buffy was her mother reincarnated. But there was only one way to truly know for sure, and that could wait till later. Right now though she knew from Leo was a magical being known as the Slayer and that meant she was an ally, one they might need if they should go up against the Source. She looked to Phoebe, who held up the sunglasses and she took a hold of the side of the glasses as she and her sister held the sunglasses between them.

"Magic forces far and wide, enchant these so those can't hide, allow this witch to use therein, so she can reveal the evil within," Phoebe and Piper chanted as the lenses of the sunglasses glowed.

"Hmm." Phoebe said.

"Okay. Better test 'em." Piper said as Phoebe put the glasses on. She giggled a little as she looked at Leo.

"Well?" Dawn asked, curious.

"Nothing. Leo looks the same." Phoebe said.

"How 'bout me?" Cole asked as Phoebe looked at him. She let out a scream when she saw him in his demonic form. "What? What do I look like?"

"She saw you in your demonic form." Buffy said.

Phoebe took off the glasses. "Enchanting," she said as Cole smiled. She turned and looked at Buffy. "Thanks for the help." She had been about to say mom when she changed her mind. Like Piper she wasn't sure if she believed Buffy was really her mother reincarnated. But she wasn't going to worry about that now, not when Paige was needing to be saved.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

At South Bay Social Services Jake and Carol, Jake's wife, stormed out of the office of Paige's boo, Mr. Cowan. Paige got up and followed them out of the building and towards their car. She held out her hand. "Heart," she called out as Jake clutched his chest in pain.

"Jake, what is it?" Carol asked as Jake fell to the ground. "No!"

On the other side of parking lot Piper pulled up in her jeep with Buffy, Phoebe, Cole, and Leo in it. As they got out, they looked around.

"I don't see Paige anywhere." Phoebe said.

"Are you sure this is the right place, Cole?" Piper asked.

Cole nodded. "The Source is here. I can sense him."

"Where are you baby girl?" Buffy said.

Leo shook his head and looked at Buffy. He still couldn't believe he hadn't been informed of Patty's reincarnation. He turned his attention back to finding Paige and found her standing on the sidewalk ten feet away from a gathering crowd. "Wait. There she is," he said.

Phoebe put on the sunglasses and saw a black aura around Paige.

"What is she doing?" Piper asked.

"I don't know, but she's got a black aura around her." Phoebe said.

"The Source?" Leo asked.

Buffy shook her head. "No. Phoebe would see his demonic form just as she saw Cole's."

"Yeah. Well, whatever it is, it's not good. Come on," Phoebe said as they rushed toward Paige.

"Jake! Jake! No." Carol cried.

"Paige? Paige? It's me, Phoebe. And Piper. And…" Phoebe said looking at Buffy.

"He's evil. He's hurting his child." Paige said.

"Oh God! Honey." Carol said.

"No. You're being seduced into doing this." Buffy said.

"No! No Jake!" Carol said.

"All right. You know what? Hi," Piper said as she pushed Paige's hand down to her side. "Leo, take her. Go home. Go, go, go, go." Leo orbs out with Paige. Jake's pain lessens.

"Let's get out of here." Cole said and they walk away.

"Are you sure you'll all right?" Carol said as Jake stood up. "Maybe you'd better lay back down."

"I'm not covering for you anymore Carol. You keep your hands off our son." Jake said as he walked off.

"You three go ahead. I'm going to stay behind. Make sure the Source doesn't follow you." Cole said as he kissed Phoebe.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Buffy, Piper and Phoebe walked through the front door of the Manor a half an hour later as Phoebe removed her coat.

"Leo, where is…" Piper said as they entered the front hall.

"I'm having a hard time convincing her that she is not evil!" Leo said as he orbed in next to them.

Suddenly a knife was thrown, nearly missing Piper and Leo.

"I see that." Piper said.

"Where's Dawn and Willow?" Buffy wondered as she didn't see either her sister or her friend.

"Your friend Willow took Dawn out for a little sightseeing," Leo explained. "She left a note on the table by the door."

"Lamp," Paige called out as a lamp orbed out and reappeared hurtling toward them. .

Leo, Piper and Phoebe ducked to miss the lamp just as Buffy caught it where Slayer reflexes.

"Bright side—at least she's getting the hang of her new power." Phoebe said.

"That is Mom's crystal!" Piper said looking briefly at Buffy before she tackled Paige to the ground.

Phoebe joined Piper in holding Paige down. "Okay. Relax. Relax," she said as Leo took Piper's place.

"Let me," Buffy said as Phoebe looked at her. "I have increased strength."

Phoebe nodded as she swapped with Buffy. "All right. Now what?"

"We just better hope there's some Wiccan exorcism in the Book of Shadows cause… yeah." Piper said as headed for the stairs.

Suddenly the lights flickered as Shane appeared on the stairs.

"Who are you?" Piper asked.

Shane's eyes turned black and he telekinetically threw Piper through the stair's banister.

"Piper!" Leo, Phoebe and Buffy yelled out.

Shane threw an energy ball at Phoebe, who levitated to avoid it. She went to kick him, but missed as he disappeared. Her momentum sent her crashing into the grandfather clock as he reappeared next to the couch.

Piper raised her hand used her power to blow him up. She looked over at Buffy who helped Paige to her feet. She then helped Leo to his as Shane somehow reassembled.

Phoebe grabbed the glasses and put them on. "Piper!" she said as she saw the Source instead of Shane through the glasses. "That's the… that's the…" She took off the glasses and went to hand them to Piper. "Loo…loo… loo… look!"

Piper pushed Phoebe's hand away already knowing who Shane was. "I know who that is."

"Your powers are strong, but will they be enough without the Power of Three," Shane said.

"Shane, what's going on?" Paige asked.

"It's okay. I'm here now." Shane said.

"Stay away from me." Paige said.

Buffy smiled. "She still has free will. You can't force her to choose."

"But she's already chosen, Slayer," Shane said as he looked at Paige. "Haven't you? Come with me. You'll be safe forever. I promise."

"Don't listen to him. He's lying." Piper argued.

"They only want you for your power. You don't have to share it. It's yours." Shane said as he morphed into Mr. Cowan. "You've already seen what you can do with it. You do what nobody else can do." He then morphed into Carol. "You nearly saved my son from his father. From all the pain and suffering he's put him through." He then morphed into a little boy. "Please help me. Don't let him hurt me anymore. You're my only hope."

Paige started to take Paige's hand. But something stopped her as she said, "No."

The boy raised his hand lifting and suspending Buffy and Phoebe in mid-air. He then shocked them with electricity.

"Help us!" Phoebe said.

Paige pushed the boy down as Buffy and Phoebe fell to the floor. She, Piper and Leo rushed over to Phoebe and Buffy and helped them to their feet just as a clock chimed.

The boy morphed back into Shane before a black vapor exited his body . Shane collapsed to the floor as the Source formed before them.

"I guess bloods a little thicker than evil," Piper said.

"I've broken the Charmed circle before," the Source said. "I'll do it again. Besides, it wasn't a complete loss. Thanks to Belthazor."

"What did you do to him?" Phoebe asked.

"Oh my God," Cortez said as the Source, Buffy, Leo, and the sisters turned to see Cortez standing near the front door with a video camera.

"Inspector, would you get out of here?!" Piper said as Cortez reached for his gun.

The Source threw an energy ball at Cortez, knocking him on the coat rack, impaling him on one of the hangers, before he fell to the floor. He then disappeared as everyone else raced to Cortez..

"Looked like evil wins again, huh?" Cortez asked.

"Not if I can help it," Leo said as he knelt down next to Cortez and healed him.

"How'd you do that?" Paige asked shocked.

Leo smiled as he helped a shocked Cortez to his feet. "That's what Whitelighters do. We heal good people."

"We have to go find Cole." Phoebe said as she, Paige, Piper, Buffy and Leo ran out the front door, leaving Cortez behind to try and wrap his mind around what just happened.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Near South Bay Social Services, Cole lay on the ground close to death.

"Cole!" Phoebe said as she spotted Cole and ran over to him. She knelt down beside him. "Oh no. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no."

"Heal him." Piper said as she froze Cole. She watched as her sister put Cole's head in her lap.

"You know that it's against the rules." Leo said.

"Leo, screw the rules. The Elders owe us." Phoebe said.

"Even if I could, I could only heal his human half and that… wouldn't be enough power to save him." Leo said as he knelt down next to Phoebe and Cole.

"Aren't I half Whitelighter? I mean, couldn't I use my half to offset his half?" Paige suggested.

Buffy smiled. "It's worth a try, Leo."

"Take my hand,' Leo said as Paige knelt down next to him and took his hand. "Hold your other hand over his wound."

Paige moved her free hand over Cole as she and Leo healed the demon. Suddenly Cole unfroze and gasped for air, very much alive.

"That was good, right?" Paige asked as Buffy and Piper helped her to her feet.

"That was very good. Let's just hope it wasn't all for nothing." Piper said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

That evening at P3; Piper, Phoebe, Leo, and Cole sat in their usual alcove as a waitress brought them drinks.

"Oh good, thank you." Cole said.

"Thanks, too." Leo said as the waitress left. "Feels good to be here again."

"Feels good to be anywhere again," Cole said with a slight chuckle.

"I will drink to that." Phoebe said as they clinked their glasses together. "Don't ever scare me like that again."

"Promise," Cole said as Phoebe smiled as she took a sip of her own drink.

"You okay?" Leo asked Piper.

"I'm not sure." Piper said.

Leo nodded, "Prue?"

Piper nodded, "Yeah. We barely got through the funeral and then everything started to go crazy and we haven't had a chance to mourn yet. And that's just not right."

"I think we'll have the rest of our lives for that." Phoebe said.

Piper nodded, "I'm still not sure about continuing on with this destiny thing. I need some time to think about it. I hope you're okay with that."

"Absolutely," Phoebe said.

Piper looked to Leo, "And I hope you're okay with it too."

"They may not be, but I am." Leo said as he took Piper's hand in his own. "Or your mother."

Piper and Phoebe still held reservations about Buffy. And while they still did not call her mom, they had found out that Buffy was indeed their mother reincarnated. Not only had they tried summoning Patty's spirit, but Leo had gone and spoken to the Elders who confirmed Buffy was indeed their mother reincarnated.

Piper looked at Phoebe for a long moment. She knew it would take time for her and her sister to find a spot for Buffy in their hearts. But at least they would have a chance to get to know her. "Yeah she may not be. Still it's nice to have her back." Piper said. "And it's nice you will have a chance to get to know her."

Phoebe nodded. "Yeah I know. In a way I'm glad I took that note out of the Book that I left for her when we went back in time to when she and Nicholas made that pact. Cause now I get to spend as much time as I can with her. You know it's kind of weird that our mom is now younger than we are you know."

Piper nodded, "I know. Did she get the spell setup?"

Phoebe nodded. "She said it's all ready for when we tell Paige."

Just then Paige walked up to them. "So does this mean I get free drinks now?" she asked as Phoebe chuckled. "Oh, I didn't mean it like that. It's not that I really drink or… Okay. I'm just gonna go." She turned to leave as Leo stood up and placed a hand on her arm lightly.

"No, Paige. You belong here, remember?" Leo said.

"You sure? I don't want to intrude." Paige said as Cole got up and moved next to Leo.

Phoebe smiled. "Mmm. Come on. Come sit right here," she said as she patted the seat next to her.

"Okay, so, uh, maybe Leo and I should go uh … pretend like we got something better to do," Cole suggested

"Good idea." Piper said as Paige sat next to Phoebe.

"Yeah." Cole said as he and Leo leave.

"I won't stay long. I just wanted to, uh, come by and thank you." Paige said.

"For what?" Phoebe asked.

"For what? You mean, beside for saving my life," Paige said with a chuckle. "I feel like I should bake you a cake or something."

"Do you cook?" Piper asked wondering if her new found sister shared her passion.

Paige shook her head, "No, no. Not really."

"So how's Shane?" Phoebe asked.

"He's okay, I guess, except I'm not too sure he wants to see me anymore." Paige said.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Piper said.

"No. Can't say I blame him," Paige said. "You know? He doesn't know exactly what happened to him, but he knows it's something bad and he knows it's somehow connected to me."

Piper nodded. "Yeah, well, you're not truly one of us until you've dated a demon, so, welcome to the club."

"Can I ask you a question?" Phoebe asked as Paige nodded. "Why did you come to Prue's funeral? I mean, you never even met her, right?"

"No. I never did," Paige said. "I don't want this to be taken the wrong way, but … I just feel like a part of me lost her too and I just … I felt drawn to her, to all you guys. I guess it was just a part of me trying to find out who I was."

Piper and Phoebe look at each other. It was time.

"Come on. There's something we need to show you." Piper said.

"Show me what?" Paige wondered.

"What good magic can do." Phoebe said as Piper and Paige got up and headed for the door. She hung back as she pulled out her cell phone and dialed. "We're going to do it as soon as we get home. We're leaving P3 now."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Phoebe lit the last two candles that formed a circle in the middle of the attic in the Manor. She walked over to Piper, who stood by the Book. " _Here these words. Hear my cry spirit from the other side. Come to me, I summon thee. Cross now the Great Divide._ " They chanted.

Buffy appeared in the middle of the circle, the glamour spell making her look like Patty, ever other time she had ever been summoned. But this time was different, this time she had not astral projected. She and Willow had wrote a spell that when Buffy was summoned would teleport her into the circle of candles. And when she stepped out of the circle, the glamour would be disspelled.

"There's someone here we thought you should meet," Piper told Paige.

"Paige," Buffy said with a smile.

"Mom?" Paige asked.

Buffy stepped outside the circle as the glamour was dispelled and her true appearance as Buffy was revealed. "Hello my darling."

Paige looked to Phoebe and Piper as if to ask what was going on.

Piper sighed. "Mom was reincarnated, Leo confirmed that, into the woman you see standing before you. Buffy, here has all of mom's memories and powers from her previous life as mom."

Paige looked at Buffy who nodded.

"It's true Paige," Buffy said. "In my previous life, I gave birth to you. I have all my memories from that life as well as this one. As well as my powers from that life."

Paige felt a little awkward to be hugged by a woman who claimed to be her mother reincarnated and was younger than she was. Still she managed a smile at the love she felt coming from the woman, regardless if she felt the same.

"Welcome home." Buffy said as she hugged Paige again.

In the door of the attic, Dawn smiled as she watched her sister hug Paige.

Piper coughed and motioned towards the door.

Buffy smiled and waved Dawn over. "I would like you to meet my sister. I guess in a way that would make her your aunt."

Paige looked at Dawn. "Hi," she said.

"Hi." Dawn returned.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Over the course of the next few days. Buffy took Willow under her wing. She taught Willow about personal gain and when and when not to use magic. She hopped that when Willow returned to Sunnydale that Tara would see a change in her friend. She had then called Giles. While she was not sure Faith could be one hundred percent trusted. She had convinced Giles that the Watcher's Council should use their influence to get Faith released from prison. After all her sister slayer had spent two years behind bars, which said that Faith was committed to being rehabilitated.

Then Buffy moved with Dawn into the Manor. While she knew that Piper and Phoebe still were unsure about how they stood with her. They did agree on one thing. If it were found out that Buffy was their mother reincarnated, that Buffy might be targeted to get at them. And so they had invited them at least for the time being to stay.


	3. Chapter 2: Hell Hath No Fury

**Author's Note:** Up a little early as I have to be at work early in the morning. **  
**

 ** _Illustration Dog:_** While a good theory, no that is not the case here. How Buffy has her powers and Patty's memories, and how Dawn is a witch also, will be explained in Chapter 3: Enter the Demon.

 _ **Chrisv002:**_ I have part 3 of Still Charmed and Kicking, for Charming the Slayer, half-way done. Hopefully I get it finished and uploaded soon.

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Hell Hath No Fury**

Somewhere in San Francisco Buffy, Piper, Phoebe and Cole sat in Piper's car as Cole drove them to a possible demon vanquish.

"Okay, turn left up here. And can you step on the gas a little?" Piper said as Cole screeched around a corner, nearly hitting a taxi.

Phoebe let out a yelp, and the taxi driver honked his horn. "Off the gas! Off the gas!" She said as she patted Cole him on the shoulder.

"Does somebody else want to drive here?" Cole asked.

"Don't look at me. I never got my license. Mom had always been worried I would wind up in a ditch someplace." Buffy said. "Now that could all change of course when I get Patty's memories of driving."

"Phoebe, the demon is not waiting around for us to come and vanquish him." Piper said.

"We don't even know if we have enough power to vanquish him. Scrying for random evil tells us nothing." Phoebe said.

"It tells us where the demons are and since we vanquished two already this week, I say it's working pretty well." Piper replied.

"Yeah, thanks to Cole for saving our butts. Three witches, sometimes with fourth—who I remind you is still in training," since moving into the manor Buffy had started to train Dawn in the user of her powers, who had exhibited the power of telekinesis, "and a demon is not the Power of Three make." Buffy said.

"So what are we supposed to do?" Piper asked with a glare at Buffy. She and Phoebe had yet to come to terms with how they felt about Buffy, if they felt anything at all. "Sit around and wait for them to pick us all off? If we weren't going after them, they'd be coming after us."

"They're coming after you anyway, Piper. The Source is coming after you." Cole said.

"And we won't be ready for him because instead of teaching Paige alongside Dawn how to be a witch, we're out hunting for every Tom, Dick and Beelzebub in San Francisco." Phoebe said.

"Speaking of, do we have any kind of plan here or…?" Buffy said.

"The plan is to vanquish the demon." Piper said.

"Great. Any chance you've mastered your powers or are you still freezing and exploding at random?" Cole asked as Phoebe hit him lightly on the shoulder.

"Random, but you know what they say, there's nothing like field practice. Turn here!" Piper said as Cole screeched around another corner and drove down an alley. "Stop!" Cole slammed on the brakes as the car came to a halt. A bald demon stood in the middle of the alley strangling a man as they filed out of the car. "Hey! Big scary demon!"

The demon turned around and the man escaped from his grip and ran away. Piper brought up her hands and used her exploding power on him.

"He's gonna blow!" Cole said as the demon bloated up. He, Buffy, Phoebe jumped back into the car closing the doors behind them.

The demon exploded and green goo splattered on the front of the car. Cole turned on the windshield wipers as Piper got back inside the car.

"Next!" Piper said as grain crossed her face.

Buffy, Phoebe and Cole looked at each other, and then at Piper, who continued to grin.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Later back at the Manor Dawn, Buffy, Phoebe and Cole watched as Piper crossed out a paige in the Book.

"Oh, I know that you're happy that we got him Piper, but is it entirely necessary to disfigure the book?" Phoebe said.

"I have to agree," Buffy said.

"Hmm, this one could incinerate human flesh with his eyes. That must sting." Piper said ignoring Buffy and Phoebe.

"You think that's funny?" Cole asked as he walked toward Piper. "You could have gotten yourself killed. Do you understand that?"

"Yes, Cole, I understand killed very well." Piper replied.

"Then why would you want to keep risking your life and Phoebe's and Buffy's and Dawn's, not to mention mine? There's a legion of Bounty Hunters on my ass. I'm supposed to be laying low but instead, I'm out protecting you guys."

"And I'm still learning." Dawn added.

"You know what, Cole? Dawn? Next time, you both can stay home." Piper said.

"If you insist on taking these suicide missions, you force me to be there because…" Cole said as the doorbell rang "…there's no way in hell I'm about to let Phoebe lose another sister. Or a mother she just got back."

"Why don't you go see who's at the door for us, okay?" Phoebe said as she lightly touched Cole on the shoulder.

"Sure. If it's the Source, I'll just ask him to come back later." Cole said then he turned to Phoebe and Buffy. "We need to talk."

Phoebe sighed as Cole left the attic. "Piper, Cole's right. We have a system for fighting demons and it's worked pretty well for the last three years."

"I think, uh, Prue being killed counts as a pretty big glitch in the system." Piper said.

Buffy shook her head and looked at Dawn. "Piper…"

"I know that you're angry, Piper. I am angry too." Phoebe interrupted.

"Then w—why are you fighting me on this? What—what's the problem with getting a little proactive?" Piper said.

"Because you're not ready to get proactive." Buffy said. "That's what's wrong with it. You're barely ready for anything right now."

"Just dealing with our everyday normal lives is hard enough," Phoebe added.

"That is precisely the point. The faster we get rid of these demons, the faster we can get back to our everyday normal lives or at least what is left of them." Piper said.

They heard a knock at the attic door and turned to see Paige standing there. "Knock knock," she said. "I uh … I'm sorry to just drop by without calling."

"Uh, it's okay. Don't worry about it." Phoebe said.

"I don't know exactly why I'm here. I'm just kind of having a hard time being surrounded by people and…" Paige said.

"And not being able to tell them that you can move things with your mind?" Dawn said in understanding. "I know I can relate."

"It does not exactly roll off the tongue." Paige said as Piper picked up a map and a crystal.

"Yeah, well being a witch is tough on friendships. That's why the whole sister thing comes in so handy." Phoebe said.

"What are you doing?" Buffy asked Piper.

"Um, it's a little chatty up here, so I'm going to go scry for evil in my room." Piper said.

"Scry?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah, uh, Phoebe will explain," Piper said as she headed out of the attic and down the stairs. "I'll see you later."

"It's kind of like a, um, supernatural lojack." Phoebe said.

"Well, why don't you use that big book?" Paige wondered as she walked over to the Book. "I mean, it is a book of spells, right?"

"Oh, it's a lot more than that. It's kind of hard to explain." Buffy said.

"It looks so old." Paige said.

Phoebe nodded. "Yeah. It has survived a lot. Fortunately, it protects itself from evil."

"It protects itself. How?" Dawn said.

Buffy smiled. "Magic."

"May I?" Paige asked indicating the Book.

Phoebe nodded. "Yeah. I mean technically, it's yours too. I would walk you through it right now, but I have to go talk to Cole."

"Ditto it seems." Buffy said as she looked at Danw. "And you have some homework you need to be doing right."

"Right," Dawn said with a sigh. While Buffy was training her in the use of her powers. Her sister still kept her largely away from the supernatural. Most of the times she had helped with a vanquish, it had been because Piper had argued that Dawn's power might have been useful against that particular demon. Of course she had yet to actually use her power on a demon.

"Well, maybe I can just take it back to my office." Paige suggested as Dawn head out the door.

Phoebe shook her head. "Oh, no, no, no, no. It doesn't leave the house. But just feel free to thumb through it and then Buffy and I'll be back in a few minutes." She and Buffy turned and followed Dawn down the stairs.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Later in the conservatory Buffy, Phoebe and Cole stood there waiting for Leo.

"What? What is it? What's wrong?" Leo asked as he orbed in.

"You've got to talk to your wife." Cole said.

"Okay, Cole, remember what Buffy and I said about being gentle?" Phoebe said.

"What about my wife?" Leo asked.

"She's out of control." Cole said.

"Cole!" Phoebe and Buffy said.

Leo frowned. "What?"

"It's just, we're very worried about her." Buffy said.

"What happened?" Leo asked.

Phoebe sighed. "She's very, very angry."

Leo nodded. "Well, of course she's angry. She's grieving."

"Right, and if she were punching walls, I would happily call a repairman, but…" Phoebe said.

"The problem is she prefers to punch demons." Cole added.

"Well, I'll talk to her." Leo said as Cole moved closer to him.

"She has no regard for her life or anyone else's. She's Charles Bronson cubed." Cole said.

Leo nodded. "I said I'd talk to her."

"Guys, guys. Who is Charles Bronson?" Phoebe asked as Leo and Cole gave her look that said, you're kidding right? "Never mind." She looked to Cole. "We—can we please just have a minute alone?"

Cole nodded. "Sure."

"Thank you." Phoebe said as Cole left the room. She, Buffy and Leo walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. "Uh, it's not just that she's violent, Leo. She's acting nothing like herself. She's completely dismissive of Paige and I don't know what to do anymore."

"Well she's dismissive of me and Dawn also." Buffy said. "But so are you and that's understandable. It'll take some time to get used to the fact I was your mother in my previous life."

"I know, Buffy." Phoebe said.

"Strange isn't it? Now on top of everything else, you have to play the middle sister when you've always been the, uh…" Leo said.

"Screw up?" Phoebe suggested as Buffy and Leo laughed.

"The youngest." Leo finished.

Phoebe nodded. "Yeah. I look at Paige and Piper and it makes me think back to all those times that Piper had to play mediator between me and Prue."

"Not a lot of fun, huh?" Buffy asked. While she and Dawn had no other siblings. She remembered being mediator between their mom and Dawn, especially when Dawn had cut her arm and questioned her own mortality after finding out she was the Key.

Phoebe nodded. "It's not a job I would have asked for. And I'm not sure it's a job I'm going to be any good at, but I just, I don't have time to really worry about it right now."

"I'll talk to her." Leo said.

Phoebe smiled. "Thanks Leo. And not to ruin this tender moment, but she's already started scrying," she said asLeo orbed out. She would would have fallen of the couch if not for Buffy's Slayer reflexes. "I didn't mean you couldn't use the stairs!"

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Up in the attic Paige had Post-its stuck all over the Book of Shadows. As she ran out of Post-its she looked around for something to continue her note taking. She glanced at the window and an idea formed in her mind, how she could continue. She picked up the Book and carried it to the window. "Okay, book, protect yourself," she said as she opened the window and dropped it the window.

"Paige! I'll be right up!" Phoebe called from downstairs.

Paige rushed out the attic door and down the stairs bumping into Phoebe and Buffy. "Whoa!" she said as a giggle escaped her lips.

"Where's the fire?" Buffy asked as Dawn joined them and they followed Paige down the stairs.

"Uh, you know, work. Lunch break's over. Gotta go." Paige said.

"Well, we didn't even get to talk." Phoebe said.

Paige nodded. "Uh, yeah, it's alright. Don't worry."

"Will you come by later?" Dawn asked.

"Sure. Yeah. Absolutely. Bye." Paige waved as she walked out the front door.

"Bye." Phoebe, Buffy and Dawn said.

Buffy and Phoebe looked at each other and then suspiciously up the stairs.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Piper sat in her room as she held the scrying crystal over the map.

"Look, honey, it isn't just that it's dangerous." Leo said.

"Leo, Whitelighters are supposed to guide. Not judge. Just because I'm doing things a little bit differently doesn't mean that there is a problem," Piper said.

Leo sighed. "Piper, I'm your husband, not just you're Whitelighter. When you speak to me like that, there is a problem. I can't help you unless you talk to me."

"It hurts to talk, Leo. It hurts to breathe. So unless you have some idea of how to bring Prue back like Mom came back, I don't want to talk right now." Piper said.

Leo sighed. "Is that what you don't want to say? Is that you still blame me for not being able to bring her back? Or do you blame Buffy because she was reincarnated and came back to you and Prue wasn't?"

"No, Leo. I don't blame you or Buffy. I blame evil. Why—why do you think I'm doing all this? For kicks?" Piper said.

"Honestly, I think you're doing it because it's easier than confronting what you're really feeling." Leo said.

Suddenly the crystal dropped and Piper looked at where it had landed. "Demon," she said.

"What?" Leo asked, confused.

"I have work to do." Piper walks out of her room. "Cole, Phoebe, Buffy, Dawn! Let's go!"

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Later Buffy, Dawn, Piper, Phoebe and Cole walked down an alley searching for the demon Piper found while scrying.

"Piper. Cole, Buffy, Dawn and I do not support you in this. If you insist on doing it, you are going in alone." Phoebe said.

"Okay. I'll see you all at home." Piper said.

"I told you that wouldn't work." Phoebe said with a glance at Buffy.

"It was worth a shot." Buffy replied.

"Wait a minute. Do you smell smoke?" Dawn asked as they stopped walking.

"It's in there." Piper said pointed to a large wooden door which had smoke rising out from under it.

They heard someone inside yelling. "What is that? What is it? Stop! Stop! Who is th— What are you?"

"Get back, I'll blow it up. Go on." Piper said as everyone backed up. She raised her hands and froze Cole instead.

"Uh, Piper…" Phoebe said.

Piper nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Crap. Okay," she said as she took takes off her coat and threw it on the ground. She wiggled her arms to relax herself then used her power again, this time the door blew up and sent Cole flying across the alley.

"Piper!" Phoebe said as she ran over to where Cole had landed.

"What?" Piper said and then she noticed Cole lying on the ground. Oh!"

A man ran out through the now open doors, knocking Piper over. Three women followed him out the door as Phoebe helped Cole up.

"Piper, let them go!" Buffy said as she noticed Piper was about to use her powers again.

Piper blew up a car in front of the women who turned to face her.

"Buffy?" Dawn asked worriedly.

Buffy looked to Dawn. "Dawn, run back to Piper's car. Start the engine okay. We'll be right behind you," she said as Dawn nodded and took off.

"Uh-oh." Piper said as she tried to freeze the women, but only succeeded in freezing Cole again. "They're—they're—th—th—they're immune to my powers."

"Unfortunately, Cole isn't." Phoebe said as a woman attacked Piper. The other two women went after Phoebe and Buffy.

Piper picked up a trash can lid and the fury punched a hole in it. Phoebe levitated up and kicked her fury, knocking her to the ground.

"Piper, unfreeze Cole," Buffy said as she caught a punch from one of the women and spun the woman around before knocking her down.

"What if I blow him up?" Piper asked just as Cole unfroze. A fury knocked her down and blew smoke in her mouth.

"Cole!" Phoebe said.

Cole threw an energy ball at the woman, who was engulfed in flames and vanquished. The other two women looked at each other and then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"I'm gonna take out those chain smokin' bitches if it's the last thing I do." Piper said as she, Dawn, Buffy, Cole and Phoebe walked through the front door of the Manor thirty minutes later.

"It might be the last thing you do." Cole said.

"That's very supportive, Cole. Who's side are you on?" Piper asked.

"At the moment, I'm on Phoebe's side." Cole replied.

Piper coughed as Buffy, Dawn, Phoebe and Cole follow her into the kitchen. "Well, the last time I checked, Phoebe was still my sister. Which technically puts her on my side. Why are we arguing?

"We're not arguing, we're discussing, Piper." Buffy said. "You are arguing. And look, you're already hurt."

Piper had been coughing ever since the woman that Cole had vanquished had blown smoke into her mouth. "I'm fine," she said as she took a water bottle out of the fridge.

"You can't stop coughing." Dawn said.

"And your control of your powers seems to be getting worse, not better." Cole added as they walked out of the kitchen.

"Oh, well, our powers are tied to our emotions, so it would make sense that they would be a little off right now." Phoebe said.

"All the more reason to lay low. These demons are dangerous." Cole said.

"All the more reason to vanquish them, okay? That is what we do—eliminate evil." Piper replied as they stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

"Regardless of the consequence, you sound like Prue." Cole said.

Buffy sighed. The only thing worse than the fact she had not got Patty's memories back till after Prue died, was the reminder that she had not gotten those memories back till after Prue had died.

"Sorry," Cole whispered to Buffy.

"Okay, Cole. I'm going to vanquish the cancer girls with or without your help. So either tell me what you know or get out of the way." Piper said.

Cole looked at Phoebe, who shrugged her shoulders. "They're called furies."

"Like from mythology?" Dawn asked.

"The dog-faced women from hell?" Phoebe asked.

Buffy shook her head. "They're modern knockoffs. Their MO is the same though."

"They punish evil doers." Piper said.

Cole nodded. "Exactly."

"Wait. Wouldn't that make them good?" Phoebe asked.

Cole shook his head. "Well, these furies are no temptress. They'll go after a shoplifter as soon as a murderer and they take great pleasure in the kill."

"Great," Piper said as she headed up the stairs. "Then we'll take great pleasure in the vanquish."

"What aren't you telling us?" Phoebe asked as she moved in front of Cole. "So they go after evil doers. Have they attacked you before, Cole?"

Cole nodded. "When they focus their thoughts on you, they force you to hear the cries of all your former victims."

"You're not the demon who did those things anymore," Phoebe said as she brushed her fingers down the side of Cole's face.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In the attic Piper let out a scream at what she saw, or rather what she didn't see.

Cole, Buffy, Phoebe and Dawn rushed up the stairs and into the attic to find out what was wrong. They found Piper standing in front of the stand that normally would have held the Book of Shadows. "Evil got the Book of Shadows. How did evil get the Book of Shadows?" Piper asked.

"Oh no." Buffy said.

"Oh no, Buffy? A demon has the Book of Shadows. Oh no doesn't quite cover it." Piper said.

"Let me go see what I can find out." Cole said as he started to shimmer out.

"Cole, wait," Phoebe said. She looked at her older sister. "Uh, Piper, promise me you're not going to overreact."

"Is that even possible?" Piper asked.

"I think that, uh, maybe… well, it-it might-might be feasible that uh, Paige borrowed the book." Phoebe said.

"Wait, why-why would you think that?" Piper asked.

"See? Now this is what I meant about overreacting. It's just that…" Phoebe said.

"You let Paige take the Book of Shadows out of the Manor?" Cole asked.

"No," Buffy said, "Phoebe didn't let her. When she left she wasn't carrying the Book, and of course a tome that large would have been hard to hide under her blouse. I believe …" she motioned toward the window that Paige had left open, "that she …"

"Out of the window?" Piper said.

"Piper, I don't…" Phoebe said.

"Phoebe, why would you even leave her alone with it?" Piper said. "No offense to Buffy or Dawn but I don't even leave them alone with it."

"Piper Penelope Halliwell!" Buffy scolded.

"Well, because she's our sister." Phoebe said. "While I will agree it's too soon to call Buffy, mom. She and Dawn are still family also."

Piper laughed. "Paige isn't family for long!" she said as she stormed out of the attic.

"Are you coming?" Phoebe asked as she looked at Cole who had sat down in a chair.

"To vanquish your sister? I think I'll sit this one out." he said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

At South Bay Social Services one of Paige's co-workers, Lila, examined another of their co-worker's, Billy's, face. "It's unbelievable," she said.

"Maybe it was the light from the copy machine." Billy said as they start to walk through the office.

"God, this day is amazing. I mean, you went and got cute…" Lila said.

"You think?" Billy asked.

Lila nodded. "Totally. And then my car loan comes through like out of nowhere,' she said as they passed Paige, who was on the phone. "My credit is worse than Paige's. You know, I still can't believe all of this."

"It's amazing." Billy said as he and Lila walk away.

"Sir, I am taking full responsibility for being late with the application. I'm simply asking for a deadline extension." Paige said to the phone.

"Well, I can't give you a deadline extension."

"Well I'm asking that you not punish Adam O'Brien who's already had a tough enough life for my mistake." Paige said. "Sir, all I'm saying is…" She looks down at the Book of Shadows which is sitting on her lap. " _These words will travel through the minds of stubborn parties and unbind, the thoughts too ridged to be kind, a compromise they'll disentwine._ "

"How does six o'clock on Friday sound?"

Paige smiled. "Six o'clock Friday is perfect. Thank you so much," she said as she hung up the phone. "Victory!"

"You got the extension?" Lila asked.

Paige nodded. "Yeah."

"Unbelievable. You're into all that witchy stuff, right?"

"Excuse me?" Paige asked wondering if she had been found out.

"Well, I'm just thinking there must be something in the stars today. I mean, Billy's face, my car, now this. Is there a full moon or something?" Lila said.

Paige shrugged. "I don't know, but whatever it is, I'm going to call my student loan sharks and take full advantage of it."

"Ooh, good. Me too." Lila said.

Paige laughed as Lila walked away.

Donnie, another one of Paige's co-workers, came up behind Paige. "You know, Paige?" he said. "As a lawyer, I can get those nasty creditors off your back so easily. And if you can't afford to pay me, we could always just take it out in trade."

"Or I could just sue your ass for sexual harassment and pay you with my big fat punitive settlement." Paige said.

"The way you dress, the judge would admire my restraint." Donnie said before walking away.

"That's it." Paige said. She flipped through the Book of Shadows and found a spell called Instant Karma. "Perfect. I'll just change demon to dirtbag."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Outside Buffy, Dawn Piper and Phoebe got out of the car and headed toward the building.

"I don't understand how someone can be that stupid." Piper said.

"I don't understand why you haven't stopped ranting since we left the house." Phoebe said.

Buffy and Dawn looked at each shaking their heads. "We're we like that?" Dawn asked.

Buffy smiled at Dawn and nodded. "At time, yes. You would get on my nerves at times and I would get on yours."

"You're right. You're right. I'm sorry." Piper said in response to Phoebe.

"Paige made a mistake," Buffy said.

"A mistake? She stole from us." Piper said.

"She borrowed. Borrowed." Phoebe countered.

"She—she threw our family heritage out of the window!" Piper replied.

"Well, that's because we never took the time to explain its significance. It was just a book to her." Phoebe said.

"Okay it is not just a book. It's like, it—it—it is like a part of our family." Piper said as she coughed.

"Paige is not a killer," Phoebe said as she placed an arm around her older sister. "She didn't kill anyone. And she's not a demon that we're on our way to vanquish."

"I get that Phoebe." Piper said.

"Do you? Because I don't think that you do." Phoebe said.

"You alright, sweetie?" Buffy asked as Piper coughed again.

Piper looked at Buffy, she still wasn't used to the fact that her mother was in the body of a 21 year old woman. Which made the fact that Buffy had just called her sweetie a tad bit weird.

Donnie ran out of the building as a bunch of women followed him. "Hey! Hey! Get away from me!"

"What the hell is going on?" Dawn asked as the women surrounded Donnie.

"Come on. Give Mama some sugar." Lila said.

Donnie sunk to the ground and the women fall all over him.

Paige quietly slipped out of the building holding her purse in front of her chest.

"You are so…" Piper said as Paige approached her, Buffy, Dawn and Phoebe. She stopped as she noticed what was behind Paige's purse. "Busted?"

"Hello!" Phoebe said as she looked at Paige's breasts which had increased in cup size several times.

"You stole our sacred book so you could perform magical plastic surgery on yourself?" Piper asked.

"You think I did this on purpose? My body was perfectly fine just as it was. Thank you." Paige said.

"I mean it! Get away from me!" Donnie said as Buffy froze him and the crowd.

"What happened?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know. They just… grew." Paige replied.

"Oh, right. And you had nothing to do with that." Piper said.

"Did you cast any spells?" Phoebe asked.

"One." Paige said as Buffy gave her a look. "Five."

"Five?" Dawn blinked.

"Okay, what did you do just before you turned into Betty Boop?" Piper wondered.

"Well, I cast a spell on this slimeball I work with so I could give him a taste of his own medicine." Paige said.

"Uh-huh. That the slimeball?" Phoebe pointed towards Donnie.

Paige sighed and nodded.

"And that's the consequence of casting a spell for personal gain," Buffy said.

"Consequence?" Paige asked.

"You misused magic to make him the object of ogling, and the spell backfired and did the same thing to you." Phoebe said.

"Which you would have learned if you had bothered to ask. But now instead of vanquishing demons, we're gonna have to spend the afternoon fixing your mess." Piper said.

"Okay, Piper, call Leo and get him to orb this guy back to the Manor. We have to protect him until we can figure out a way to reverse the spell. Paige and I will grab the book and meet you there." Buffy said.

Piper looked at Paige and shook her head. She turned and walked away as Phoebe and Dawn followed her.

Paige looked down at her breasts and sighed.

"I know you don't think of me as your mother. But would it do any good to scold you?" Buffy asked as they walked into Social Services.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Later Paige drove herself and Buffy toward the Manor. She glanced at Buffy who was looking through the Book. "Are my boobs gonna stay this way forever?" she asked.

"Not if I can find the spell." Buffy said.

"What about Piper? Is she gonna stay mad at me forever?" Paige asked.

Buffy sighed. "You have to give her and Phoebe both some time, okay. They just lost Prue and finding out that they have another sister and that their mother was reincarnated into a new body that is currently younger than you are. It just a little much at the moment for them right now. To tell the truth it surprises me that they even let me move in to the Manor."

Paige nodded. "The last thing I wanted to do was add to their stress. I just wanted to get back at Donnie."

"Yeah, and I understand the temptation, Paige, I really do. But Phoebe told you the book does not leave the house." Buffy said.

"Right. Sorry." Paige said as she tried to shift into third gear, but her breasts got in the way. "My boobs are in the way. Can you put it into third for me?"

"Alright. Ready? Here we go," Buffy said as she moved the gearshift into third. "Alright."

"Did you find the spell yet?" Paige asked.

"No," Buffy said as she flipped the page and smiled. She had found the page on the furies, "but I found the demons." She read the page and her smile turned instantly to a frown. "Oh my God. I knew I was forgetting something."

"What? You can't say demons followed by 'oh my god. I knew I was forgetting something'. I'm new at this, I'm likely to panic." Paige said.

"Okay, fury smoke kills bad guys, right? But in good people, it looks for a portal of unexpressed fury." Buffy said.

"And?" Paige asked.

"It builds until it consumes your humanity and it turns you into a fury. Um, we fought the furies today. Piper got smoked." Buffy said.

"Wait. Are you saying that Piper's turning into a demon?" Paige asked.

"Pretty much." Buffy said. "Uh, step on it and hit the clutch. I'm going to put it into fourth. Ready? On three. One, two, three." She shifted the gearshift into fourth. "And Mom was worried about me and driving."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

At the manor Donnie landed on the couch.

"Easy, Piper." Leo said.

"What, are you protecting him now?" Piper asked.

"Wh—wh—what the hell is going on? And what's with the chicks? They've gone crazy." Donnie said.

"This chick just saved your ass you snivelling ingrate." Piper said as Donnie stood up.

Dawn looked to Phoebe as she shook her head. "Something's wrong."

"Do you see what I mean?" Donnie asked Leo, Phoebe and Dawn.

"Who said you could get up?" Piper said as she pushed him over the back of the couch.

Phoebe sighed, it appeared Dawn was correct. "I think your right," she said as she looked toward her sister. "Piper, what's the matter with you?"

"Okay, honey look, I don't know what's going on, but we really need to talk." Leo added.

"Leo, Phoebe, Dawn, you three know what? I'm sick of talking." Piper said as she tried to blow Leo up. She missed as he orbed out with Phoebe and Dawn, he was afraid that she might use her power on them next. She turned and walked toward Donnie as Leo, Phoebe and Dawn orbed back in.

"Now we really need to talk. Piper, you do not use your powers on a mortal." Leo said as he, Phoebe and Dawn stand behind her. "Do you hear me?"

"Back away slowly."

"What?" Leo, Dawn and Phoebe said as they turned to see Cole standing in the doorway.

"She's becoming a fury." Cole said as Piper's fingernails not only grow longer but turn jet black. "There's no reasoning with her now."

"Piper, you're a good witch," Leo said as he moved between Piper and Donnie. "Do you hear me? Fight this."

Piper touches Leo's face, and then pushed him over the couch.

"Oh God! Help!" Donnie cried.

"Piper you don't want to do this," Phoebe said as she ran between her sister and Donnie.

Piper pushed Phoebe over the couch and she landed next to Leo.

Dawn watched and sighed. "Piper," she said. She squinted at a lamp and it went flying into the wall, where it shattered. "Dang."

Piper reached down and scratched Donnie just as Cole powered up an energy ball. She picked Donnie up and blew smoke from her mouth. Cole threw the energy ball at her, which pushed her back away from Donnie.

"Cole!" Buffy said.

"I, well…" Cole said as he looked at Paige and Buffy, who had just walked in through the front door.

"That wasn't very nice." Piper said as she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Dawn and Buffy flipped through the Book of Shadows looking for the spell Paige had used while Phoebe told Leo what had happened while he was unconscious.

"Cole hit her with an energy ball." Leo said as he knelt next to Donnie and began to heal him.

"Leo, it was a low voltage," Phoebe argued. "Would you prefer he'd let her kill an innocent?"

"I'd prefer that he wouldn't use his demonic powers on my wife." Leo said.

"I'd prefer that also." Buffy agreed.

"I can't believe that you let him go look for her." Leo added.

"Oh, this all my fault. I shouldn't have stolen the Book of Shadows." Paige said.

Leo frowned. "You stole the Book of Shadows?"

"Leo, Leo. Concentrate please." Buffy said.

"I just hope he finds her fast because if this is anything like the time I turned into a Banshee, she's gonna be hungry for a kill." Phoebe said as Leo stood up.

"I'm sorry. A Banshee?" Paige asked.

"Demonic screamer, kinda trampy, feeds on pain." Buffy said.

Dawn looked at Buffy. "You remember that?"

Buffy nodded. "I pretty much remember everything now. I came across the Banshee listing once when looking for a demon."

"I think I need to sit down." Paige said as she sat on the couch next to Donnie

"Whoa." Donnie said as he woke up and got a look at Paige's spell-enhanced breasts.

Paige disgusted at Donnie's reaction punch Donnie in the face, knocking him out.

"Paige!" Buffy and Leo said.

"What?" Paige said. "You both only said I couldn't use magic to punish him."

"Okay, Leo, you orb Donnie back to his office, heal him there, then make sure he doesn't nark us out for being witches," Phoebe suggested

"How?" Leo asked.

"I don't know. Be creative." Phoebe said.

"What about Piper?" Leo asked.

"You have to do your job. And let us do ours. We'll get your wife back. I promise." Phoebe said.

Leo sighed and he orbed out with Donnie.

"Um, I hate to ask, but how are we going to get his wife back? I mean, she's kind of a… full on demon." Paige asked.

"No. She's not full on." Buffy said. "She doesn't have the talons yet. I think that comes with the first kill."

"Besides, if we were able to save her when she turned into a Wendigo…" Phoebe said.

"A Wendi-what?" Dawn asked.

"Um, a Wendigo. It's kind of like a werewolf, only meaner." Phoebe said.

"Here we are," Buffy said as she found the Instant Karma spell. "Is this the spell that you used?"

Paige nodded. "Uh-huh," she said.

Dawn looked over the spell and shook her head as she realized a word had to be used in place of demon.

"Is there some sort of spell I could do, you know, in advance so I could, uh, not become maybe a Banshee or…" Paige said.

"No," Buffy said.

"What word did you sub demon with?" Dawn wondered.

"Dirtbag." Paige replied.

"Dirtbag," Buffy said with a sigh. She pushed the Book toward Phoebe. "The reversal might work better with a little Charmed magic."

Phoebe nodded as she picked up a notepad and wrote a few things down. She then scrunched up the paper as she sat next to Paige. "Okay, give me your hand." Paige took her free hand as Phoebe burned the tip of a paper with a lit candle. "Guided spirits, hear our plea, annul this magic, let it be."

"Please, let it be." Paige said in agreement. She watched as her breasts shrank and groaned. "Do you think it worked a little too well?"

Buffy looked to Dawn. "Now let this be a lesson."

"I got it, Buffy. Really I got it a long time ago with Willow's first personal gain spell backfired on her. Remember the my will be done spell?" Dawn said.

"I would be perfectly happy never to remember that spell." Buffy said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

After they had fixed Paige's breasts Buffy had grabbed a map and scrying crystal and was now scrying for Piper at the dining room table.

"Damn it." Phoebe said as she watched.

"Why isn't it working?" Paige asked.

Buffy sighed as she sat down the crystal. "Because Piper isn't a witch anymore."

"Can't you just scry for evil then?" Paige asked.

"Do you have any idea how much evil is running around San Francisco?" Phoebe asked.

"Or in California, period?" Buffy asked. "We're seven hours drive from the main demonic hotspot in California. Sunnydale is the home of our very own Hellmouth."

"Hellmouth?" Paige asked.

"Dawn and I'll tell you later." Buffy said.

"Damn it, Piper." Phoebe said as Cole shimmered in. They saw he was covered in bruises and scratches. "Cole. Thank God."

"Don't thank me yet." Cole said as Phoebe hugged him.

"You didn't find her?" Dawn asked.

"I didn't get a chance to look. Every time I used my sensing powers, a bounty hunter sensed me. I fought off three of them." Cole said as he sat down. "I'm sorry."

Phoebe shook her head. "No, it's—it's okay. I mean, somehow everything's gonna be okay. I—I don't have even a little idea of how everything's gonna be okay."

"Phoebe..." Paige and Buffy said.

"You know why? Because nothing is okay." Phoebe said.

"Phoebe." Paige and Buffy repeated.

"My sister is a fury, my boyfriend is a demon... Oh baby, you're bleeding." Phoebe said as she knelt down next to Cole.

"Phoebe." Buffy almost shouted as Phoebe looked at her. "You all found Paige and I because of the spell to call a lost witch." What if we reworded it substituting witch for sister."

"Will that work?" Cole asked.

"Well, n—no. Not if she's already looking for a kill. The call won't be strong enough." Phoebe said.

"Why not?" Dawn asked

"Because of the pull of evil. When I was possessed by the Woogie, the blood lust was so strong…" Phoebe said.

"Woogie?" Cole asked.

"The…" Buffy said. "You know what ask me later."

"The point is… I don't think she'll answer the call." Phoebe said.

"Then we'll add bait." Paige said as she glanced at Cole, and then looked at Phoebe.

Phoebe looked at Cole as she realized what Paige was suggesting. "No. No. Uh, no. Are you kidding me? No."

"The furies go after evil doers, right?" Paige asked.

"Paige, we are not using the love of my life as bait." Phoebe said.

Buffy looked at Cole. "Actually, Phoebe, yes we are. If you're up for it, Cole?"

"It's perfect." Cole said as he stood and moved beside Paige, Buffy and Dawn.

"Cole, you have been a demon for over a century. That is a lot of victims. The pain of their cries alone can kill you." Phoebe said.

Cole nodded. "Yes, but as you said, I'm not the demon that did those things anymore. And if facing my crimes helps save your sister…"

"Cole, I…" Phoebe said.

"Phoebe." Cole said as he sat down next to Phoebe. "I would do almost anything for you, you know that. But I will not be a coward for you. Please don't ask me to be."

Phoebe sighed as she brought her hand up to his face. "We'll need some of your blood."

"Right." Cole said.

"Knife." Paige said as a knife orbed from the table and into her hand. She held it out in front of Cole.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Phoebe held the bloodied knew over a little candle. " _Power of the sisters rise, course unseen across the skies, come to us who call you near..._ " she and Paige chanted. " _Come to us and settle here. Blood to blood, I summon thee, blood to blood, return to me._ "

Cole paced back and forth as Phoebe looked over at him. "Are you sure about this?" she asked.

Cole sighed. "I'm good at a lot of things. Waiting is not one of them."

"I know what you mean." Buffy said. "I hate waiting for vamps to rise out of their graves. It's like come on already."

Paige made a noise and threw her arms down.

"Honey, what are you doing?" Phoebe asked.

"I'm trying to do that orb thingy. I can't seem to get the hang of it though." Paige said as Cole yelled in her face and she orbed in and out. "What happened?"

"You orbed." Buffy said.

Paige smiled. "I did?"

Cole nodded. "It's a fear response."

"So until you learn how to control it, you just have to…" Phoebe said.

"Get scared?" Paige asked.

Phoebe nodded. "Pretty much."

"Plus practice makes perfect, right?" Dawn asked as she remembered her earlier attempt to telekinetically move Piper away from Donnie.

Phoebe looked to Dawn and then at where the shattered lamp still lay on the floor. She nodded in agreement to what Dawn had said. "Right. It will take some time to get used to your powers."

"So how are we going to un-demon Piper when she gets here?" Paige said

"Well, we have to close the portal of unexpressed fury." Buffy said.

"Unexpressed? I think she's been raging for days." Cole said.

"That's 'cause there's something she's not saying." Phoebe said.

"Which is?" Dawn asked.

Phoebe shrugged. "I don't know, but I think I have an idea,' she said just as Cole yelled out in pain and dropped to his knees. She knelt next to him. "They're close?"

Suddenly Paige orbed out.

"Paige?" Buffy said as Paige orbed back in.

"I did it again," Paige said excitedly.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Cole whispered as a fury barged in through the front door.

Phoebe levitated and kicked the fury, knocking her down. The fury got up and attacked her. She blocked and kicked the fury again, knocking once again to the floor.

Piper and another fury smoked in behind Phoebe near Cole, Buffy and Dawn.

"Nice decoy, Piper," Buffy said and with a roundhouse kick, she kicked at both Piper and the the other fury and knocked them backwards.

Phoebe knelt next to Cole. "Cole. Come on. Come on," she said as she tried to help Cole up as the one of the furies comes at her again.

Dawn squinted at a lamp and it went flying across the room hitting the other fury. Piper, and both of the furies turned toward Dawn. "Sorry," she said as Piper and the furies walked towards her. "Really sorry. Buffy!"

"Cole," Buffy said noticing Cole was awake. "We need to get rid of those two."

Cole nodded and threw an energy ball vanquishing the two furies.

Piper turned back to Phoebe and Cole and pushed Phoebe out of the way. She raked her sharp fingers across Cole's chest.

"Cole is not your problem, Piper, and you know it." Phoebe said as Piper attacked her.

"Book!" Paige said as the Book of Shadows orbed to her. She started flipping through it. "Please let there be something in here."

"There isn't going to be anything in there, Paige," Buffy yelled.

Phoebe kicked Piper back as Cole got another energy ball ready. "Cole, don't! You think I abandoned you. You think it's my fault that Prue died. You blame me. You should just admit it."

Piper sent Phoebe flying straight into a cabinet, smashing it. She then turned and headed straight for Paige and Buffy.

"You don't want to kill me or Buffy, Piper, you don't even know us." Paige said as Cole and Dawn moved over to Phoebe.

"It's not about us." Buffy said realizing what Piper was angry at. "Leo!"

As Piper tried to scratch at Buffy and Paige just as Leo orbed in.

Paige grabbed Buffy's hand and orbed out and back in behind Piper. "Phoebe's not the sister who abandoned you," Paige said as Piper spun got face them. She realized what Buffy had, that Prue was the one that Piper was angry at. "It's Prue, isn't it?" Paige said as Piper grabbed both Paige and Buffy by the neck.

"Leo, do something." Phoebe said as Leo grabbed Piper, Buffy and Paige and orbed out.

"Where'd he take them?" Dawn asked.

"To what Piper's really angry at, Aunt Dawn." Phoebe said.

Dawn laughed, "So you accept that Buffy is your mother reincarnated?"

"I guess I am." Phoebe said. "Which means, even though you are not really my aunt. I still love you as such, just as much as I love mom."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In the mausoleum where Prue was buried Leo orbed in with Buffy, Piper and Paige.

Piper backed away when she the plaque with Prue's name on it.

"Tell her, Piper." Buffy said. "It's alright to hate her."

Piper rushed over to the doors intending to throw them open and rush out into the night, instead she found them locked.

"You should hate her," Paige agreed. "When my parents died, I hated them for it. I was alone, and I hated them. It is okay to hate Prue."

Piper looked at Paige and Buffy and then toward Prue's plaque. "How dare you!" she yelled as she ran over to the plaque and banged her hands against it. "How dare you leave me! How could you go and die and leave me here all alone? Please come back. I need you. Please come back." As she started to cry, she let out a scream and sank to the ground. They watched as her appearance returned to normal.

"It's okay. It's okay, honey." Leo said as he and Buffy knelt next to Piper.

"It's okay, sweetie." Buffy agreed.

"It's not okay. She risked her life every day and she never thought about what would happen to me and Phoebe if she was gone." Piper said. She noticed that Paige held tears in her eyes and realized that even Paige was grieving for a sister she would never know.

Buffy looked to Leo who nodded. "We know."

"How did she think that I could live without her, Mom?" Piper asked.

Buffy smiled as she realized that Piper had finally come to accept her as her mother reincarnated. "Maybe you should ask your aunt that," she said as she embraced Piper.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Later that evening Piper stood at the door to Dawn's room, debating whether or not to knock. After a moment of indecision she finally bit the bullet and knocked.

"Come in, Piper."

Piper opened the door and stepped into the room. She looked at Dawn wondering how Dawn knew it was her. "How did …"

Dawn smiled. "Buffy, said you might be coming by."

Piper nodded as she moved over to a chair and sat down. She watched as Dawn squinted. She followed Dawn's gaze to the door and watched it shut of its own accord. She smiled as she looked back at Dawn. "You're getting pretty good at that."

"I've been practicing," Dawn said. "I don't want a repeat of earlier with the furies."

"That's understandable," Piper said. She then let out a breath she had not known she had been holding. "Mom suggested I should ask you how Prue thought I could live without her."

Dawn nodded. "I know. There is something we have yet to tell any of you. Buffy died a few months ago. It wasn't one of the first uses of personal gain spells Willow has done. But it was one of the biggest. Willow brought Buffy back. During the time she was gone, I felt very much like you, Piper. Lost, alone. I didn't understand how Buffy could leave me. I understood why she did it though. So that I could live. But I don't understand how, and I may never understand till I am faced with that choice. Buffy doesn't hear it enough from me, shoot I've been a brat when it comes to hers and my relationship. But I do love my big sister. So much so that I wasn't sure if I could keep to my promise. When she saved my life, by sacrificing her own. She gave me this speech, it was the only thing that kept me going."

"What did she say?" Piper wondered.

Dawn smiled as she began to recite the speech Buffy had given her up on that tower. She had even repeated a portion of that speech back to Buffy not too long ago. "Dawn, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I'll always love you. But this is the work I have to do. Tell Giles I ... I figured it out. And I'm okay. Give my love to my friends. You have to take care of them now—you have to take care of each other. You have to be strong, Dawn. The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me."

Tears came to Piper's eyes and she smiled. She reached over and hugged Dawn who returned the embrace.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Outside in the hall Buffy leaned against the wall next to the door to Dawn's room and smiled. With her Slayer hearing she had been listening to the conversation. "I love you too, Dawn. I'll always love you."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

The next morning Piper poured three cups of coffee as Buffy, Dawn and Phoebe walked into the kitchen and sat at the table. Piper handed Phoebe and Buffy each a cup of coffee. She went to hand the other to Dawn who shook her head. Piper nodded and kept the cup for herself.

"Did you sleep?" Buffy asked.

Piper nodded. "Yeah, actually, better than I have in a while."

"Mmm. It's quiet, isn't it? Early and late. It's just really, really quiet." Phoebe said.

Buffy looked at Dawn and smiled. They knew that Phoebe was talking about Prue.

"Prue was always the first one up, and the last one down. It's strange, the things that you miss," Piper said with a glance at Dawn, who smiled. "So, how scary was I?"

Phoebe laughed. "Heck, I've seen worse. I've been worse. But uh, but Paige…"

"She completely freaked." Piper said.

Buffy shook her head. "No Paige handled it … better than most people would, I think."

"She and Mom saved your life. She, Mom and Aunt Dawn are definitely Halliwells, last name or no." Phoebe said.

Piper nodded as she realized that like herself that Phoebe had come to accept both Buffy and Dawn as family. She looked at Buffy and Dawn. "I know I haven't been the most welcoming. I just … I miss Prue so much. It's hard to imagine opening up to someone else. With everything that happens in our lives, love just feels like an invitation for more pain."

"So maybe you don't start with love," Buffy suggested. "Maybe you just start with thanks."

Piper nodded and then hugged Buffy. "Thanks, Mom," she said as she turned and hugged Dawn. "Thanks, Aunt Dawn."

"Anytime, Piper," Dawn whispered into Piper's ear.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Later that day at South Bay Social Services Piper walked into the building holding a basket of muffins. She spotted Paige at her desk and walked.

Paige looked up at Piper as her sister sat down the basket. She looked in it and then back at Piper. "Muffins. Thanks."

"Busy work. I'm best in the kitchen. Prue was the one that liked to, uh, chase demons." Piper said.

Paige noticed Donnie walk by, and that he had not said a word to her, at least nothing like what he had said in the past anyways. "Man, he's like a whole new Donnie. What did Leo say to him?"

Piper looked over at Donnie, who smiled at them. "Um, I don't know. He's a miracle worker, that husband of mine.

"So, how are you?" Paige asked.

"I've had, uh… bad hours." Piper said as she sat down. "And hours that aren't quite so bad. I guess you know how it is."

Paige nodded. "Yeah. When my…" She wondered if she should say adoptive parents or just parents. Buffy was her mother reincarnated and she wanted to acknowledge that. "…adoptive parents died, there were some days I didn't think I'd survive the sadness. It'll never be okay that she's gone, Piper. But I promise, it will get better."

"You know, Leo could fix that for you," Piper said noticing the scratches on Paige's neck where she had grabbed her sister.

Paige smiled. "It's my first war wound. I think I'll wear it with pride."

"Unfortunately in this family, it will not be the last." Piper said and it mom is the only one who has rapid healing. Something to do with being the Slayer." She noted Paige's confusion. "It's part of that talk that Mom said she and Aunt Dawn would have with you about Sunnydale."

Paige nodded. "Anyways, every family has its pros and it's cons. A couple of demon battles in exchange for the power to clear up my friend's skin? I'd say it's worth it."

"The power to what?" Piper asked as she followed Paige's gaze to Lila and Billy.

"He's cute, isn't he? Well, you should have seen him yesterday." Paige said with a laugh.

Piper nodded. "Okay, uh, you saved my life, so I guess we're even on the Book of Shadows swipe, but, um, Paige, there are rules to being a witch, rules that you will have to learn and follow."

"Well, not to be difficult, but… you're married to our Whitelighter and Phoebe's shacking up with a demon. So, on balance, maybe my friend could stay cute?"

"Okay." Piper said as Mr. Cowan came up to them.

"My, my, my. That pile looks about the same size as it did about an hour ago." Mr. Cowan said as Piper stood up.

"Oh, that was my fault. I distracted her with muffins." Piper said.

"And you are?" Mr. Cowan asked.

Piper looked at Paige then back at Mr. Cowan. "I'm her sister."

Piper smiled at Paige and turned to leave as Paige called after her. "Tell Mom and Aunt Dawn I said hello."

Piper looked to Paige and realized that like she and Phoebe, that Paige too had come to acknowledge that Buffy was indeed her mother reincarnated. "I will," she said as she head out the door. She smiled herself as she thought over the last few days. She not only had a new sister but her mother had returned also, reincarnated into a new body. And even though Dawn was not in reality her aunt, she considered Dawn to be one anyways. It would take time to come to find a place for each of them in her heart she knew. But she knew she would find a place for each of them.


	4. Chapter 3: Enter the Demon

**Author's Note:** When we come to the soul swap. It will be like the following. Body/Mind.

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Enter the Demon**

Phoebe watched as Buffy and Cole went at it, throwing punches and kicks at one another. To her eye it looked kind of like a dance.

Cole glanced at Phoebe for a brief second as he said, "When you see your opponent expand, you contract. If he or she contracts, you expand."

"Wow," Paige said.

Phoebe looked up at her baby sister. "Paige? What are you doing down here? Shouldn't you be upstairs studying for Piper's quiz?"

"Well, I was kinda hoping to go a couple rounds with the demon first." Paige said.

"I should tell you, Piper takes her witchcraft quizzes very seriously, you better be prepared. What's the subject?" Phoebe said Buffy and Cole stopped and turned to look at her and Paige.

"She's really that bad?" Buffy asked as Phoebe nodded.

"Potion basics." Paige said.

"Eww." Phoebe said.

Buffy shook her head, "Potions basics are a good place to start. If I had lived and hadn't made that stupid pact with Nicholas that would up having mom bind your powers. I would have started with potion basics in training you girls."

"Mom," Phoebe said.

Paige nodded, "I know. It's just all book learning."

"Paige, Piper and I had to learn how to be witches the hard way and it took… well, it took too long. We need you to get there faster. Our lives might depend on it."

Buffy nodded, "Even though Dawn and I have powers. If a power of three demon were to come after you all even Dawn and I wouldn't be able to do much more than help defend. You need to master your powers and learn to do witchcraft quickly."

"Appealing to my conscious. Such a low blow." Paige said as she turned to head back upstairs "I just wanna know when the fun stuff starts."

Buffy sighed. "I better go check on how Dawn is doing with her potions quiz," she said as she moved to follow Paige. "Phoebe, why don't you work out with Cole here."

Phoebe nodded as she stood up.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Buffy walked through the basement door into the kitchen to find Dawn and Paige sitting at the kitchen table with Piper.

"Okay. After mixing your potions, what's the best method to preserve unused sea slugs for future use? A) Pickle them, B) Sugar them, C) Smoke them, D) Freeze dry them."

"Well, now you see, if I had extra sea slugs, I'd let those little suckers go right on back to the ocean." Paige said.

"Uh," Dawn said hesitanting. "Pickle them. Don't you use them in a salad?"

Buffy sighed. "Dawn," she said with a shake of her head. "The answer is freeze dry them."

Piper nodded, "Mom's right."

"I was going to guess that." Paige said.

"So was I," Dawn argued.

Piper shook her head, "Why are you two guessing at all?"

"To pass," Paige said.

Buffy shook her head as she sat at the table, "Paige, Dawn, this isn't like trig, you know. It's not like you're never going to use it again. If you blow a potion, innocent people could die."

"I know, I know," Dawn said with a sigh. "I'm sorry, Buffy. I had to choose between school work and this, remember even though I'm a witch, I am still in school."

Buffy sighed as Piper looked at her. "She has a point. After mom died, Dawn's grades started dropping. The school threated to get social services involved if Dawn's grades didn't improve. They even said if I couldn't make Dawn study, that I would not be found fit to be Dawn's legal guardian. School in this instance for her takes priority."

"Okay," Piper said. She then looked at Paige. "And why did you not study for this test?"

Paige sighed, "Well, I started to last night. It's just a friend from work came over and she knew this bouncer at this club and… I'm sorry."

Piper looked back at Buffy and sighed before looking back at Paige. "It's okay. I was single… once. Why don't you study tonight...?"

"You too, Dawn. It is after all Friday," Buffy said.

"Okay, Buffy," Dawn agreed.

"I can't," Paige said. "I have a guy coming over here and we're going out."

"Here? What's wrong with your place?" Piper asked.

"Uh, this place is slightly more impressive than mine." Paige said.

"Uh-huh. Look, Paige, I really, really want to be the cool big sister, but this is ridiculous. You have no priorities." Piper said.

"There have been plenty of times I've left work to fight demons. That's why I have to go out tonight. The boss' son is in town for the weekend." Paige said.

"And you think showing him a good time is gonna improve your career standing?" Piper asked.

Paige nodded, "Well, yeah."

"Okay, listen to me very carefully. There is nothing more important than learning your craft right now. We could be attacked at any moment." Piper said.

"She does have a point, Paige. If a power of three demon attacked would you be ready?" Buffy said.

Paige sighed. "Then why am I stuck here reading? I should be learning how to body slam sweaty demons like you Mom and Phoebe."

Buffy sighed. "First of all. I'm a Slayer, remember? I need to train. Second Phoebe has been at this a lot longer than you have, and with the fact she has no active power. She has had to rely on other things to make up for that deficiency which included learning martial arts."

"Also," Piper said, "be patient and study hard and knowing this family one day you will get a big sweaty demon of your own." Piper said.

Buffy rolled her eyes, "You're not going to let me forget about Angel are you?"

Piper shook her head. "No I'm not mom. It's kind of leverage anytime you mention Phoebe shouldn't be dating a demon when you did the same thing." She stood up and moved toward the backdoor.

"Where are you going?" Paige asked.

"Chinatown. I need to stock up on some of these herbs." Piper answered as she picked up an umbrella and her car keys. "Mom you want to come with me?"

Buffy shrugged. "Sure. Why not."

"Ooh, can I go? I can get my nails done. " Paige asked.

"No," Buffy said. "Both of you should work on your potions."

"Come on!" Dawn said with a sigh. "Paige messes up and I get punished?"

"It is not punishment, Dawn," Buffy said. "You are the one that wanted to learn to control your powers and in turn to help me, Piper, Phoebe and Paige."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Back at the Manor, Paige and Dawn worked together on a potion. Or rather Paige was working on the potion and Dawn was going reading over a book that Buffy had gotten her on chemistry. Dawn assumed that Buffy had gotten a book on chemistry because it was the closest thing to potions that could be considered truthful.

Next up, some powered toadstool. Bam!" Paige said as she threw in a batch of powder. "Let's kick it up one more notch."

"Whoa," Leo said as he walked through the kitchen door, "what-what are you doing?"

"We're supposed to be mixing potions," Dawn said. "I'm reading up on chemistry, since it's the closest thing to actual potions making there is, Paige decided not to wait on me."

Paige sighed. "I don't know why, Piper and mom want us mixing potions. Phoebe and mom get to fight. Phoebe herself gets to levitate. We—we get to cook."

"Well, you know Piper, Phoebe and even Buffy's active powers took a long time to develop," Leo said as he got a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Mom is still learning about …" Paige argued.

"She has Patty's memories," Leo said. "Which means she knows everything she did in her previous life. And those powers developed back then. Anyways Phoebe's been studying martial arts for years. And Buffy is the Slayer, with instinctual knowledge on how to fight."

"Yeah, but we're magic," Paige said. "We should be able to skip over all that crap."

Dawn sighed. "Believe me when I say that there are no shortcuts, even with magic. I watched Willow go that route, and in the end it could have cost her."

"Dawn is right," Leo agreed. "Anyways, you're half Whitelighter which means you're half pacifist. You may never develop the power to fight like Phoebe or Buffy. And, uh, you might want to check your potion. It's bubbling over." He turned and walked back out the kitchen door.

Paige sighed. " Just once, I'd like to know what it's like to be Phoebe and be able to kick some serious ass," she said. She picked up the last ingredient for the potion.

"No!" Dawn yelled realizing Paige's mistake instantly. Paige had the wrong ingredient. She ran towards Paige just as Paige dropped the ingredient into the potion and it exploded.

Paige and Dawn collapsed to the floor as their souls escaped their bodies. Dawn's soul found its way into Paige's body as Paige's floated down through the floor.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In the basement Phoebe collapsed, her soul left her body and ascended as Paige's soul entered her body.

"How did I get down here?" Phoebe/Paige asked.

"Never drop your guard," Cole said as he went to hand Phoebe/Paige a sword. She ran away from him and hid behind a punching bag that Buffy had installed. "What is wrong with you, Phoebe?"

"What did you just call me?" Phoebe/Paige asked.

"Well, you really took a shot if you can't remember your name," Cole said as Phoebe/Paige looked down and saw she was in Phoebe's body.

"Oh, no," Phoebe/Paige said as she played with some of Phoebe's hair. "I am so screwed and so frosted."

"Are you okay?" Cole asked.

"No. I mean ... yes. Just wait here," Phoebe/Paige said as she rushed up the stairs and into the kitchen.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Buffy and Piper walked into the herbal shop in Chinatown, the first thing they noticed was a woman arguing with the shopkeeper.

"Please, just listen to me," the woman said. "You have no idea how important this is to me."

"Come back later," the shopkeeper told her.

"If I could come back later, I would, but I can't. I need it now."

"That dagger is a family heirloom," he said. "It's not for sale."

"Excuse me," Piper interrupted. "Do you have any wormwood?"

"You don't understand," the woman said ignoring Piper and bringing the shopkeeper's attention back to her. "I don't want to buy it. It's all right here in the note."

"I don't read Chinese," he said

Piper looked to Buffy and sighed before looking back at the shopkeeper, "Uh, wormwood," she reminded him.

"You have to help me," the woman said still ignoring Piper. "My father needs the dragon blade. He said your father would—"

"My father is out of town until Tuesday," he replied. "You'll have to come back then. Excuse me, I have customers." He turned to look at Piper.

"Yes. Hi. Thank you," Piper said. "Hi. I need a sprig of wormwood, preferably small stemmed."

As the man moved to get the wormwood, the woman jumped up onto the wall and grabbed the dragon blade.

Buffy instinctively tried to freeze the woman who didn't freeze as she jumped back down and ran out of the shop. She looked to Piper and they chased after her. "Hey!" they called after the woman.

Piper raised her hands and aiming for some boxes ahead of the woman caused them explode.

"Who are you two?" the woman said just as a man came out of the shadows of a nearby doorway.

"An-Ling!" he said.

An-Ling smiled. "I have it, father," she said as a second man came out of a puddle of water and stabbed An-Ling's father. "No!"

"Like I said, we're just getting started," the new man said.

"Father!" An-Ling yelled as the new man and her father disappeared into the puddle the new man came out of.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In the kitchen of the Manor Dawn/Phoebe groaned as she woke.

"Oh, I don't look so good," Phoebe/Paige said as she looked down at Paige/Dawn.

"What's going on?" Dawn/Phoebe said as she looked up at Phoebe/Paige and gasped.

"Uh, it's okay, Aunt Dawn," Phoebe/Paige said.

"I'm, Phoebe," Dawn/Phoebe said. "Who are you?"

Paige/Dawn groaned as she sat up and looked around. "That is a good question." She looked to Phoebe/Paige. "You are so busted if you are who you think you are."

"Aunt Dawn?" Phoebe/Paige asked as Paige/Dawn nodded. "Oh, boy. Okay it's me, Paige. It looks like all three of us switched bodies."

"What?" Dawn/Phoebe asked. "What did you two do?"

"It was Paige," Paige/Dawn said. "I noticed that the last ingredient was the wrong one. And when she dropped it in, the potion exploded."

"It was an accident," Phoebe/Paige said. "I swear. I just wanted to know what it was like to be you and somehow the potion I was working on just sort of blew up."

"If you wanted to be Phoebe," Paige/Dawn said. "Why am I stuck in your body?"

"I don't know," Phoebe/Paige said.

Dawn/Phoebe sighed. "Okay. We gotta fix this. What ingredients did you use?"

Paige/Dawn got up and looked at the Book. "It was this one," she said as Dawn/Phoebe looked over her shoulder.

"And what was the incorrect ingredient?" Dawn/Phoebe asked.

"Uh …" Paige/Dawn said. "I'm not sure. I just noticed it was the wrong one. To tell the truth I wasn't paying complete attention."

"We're back!" came Piper's voice from the living room.

"Okay," Paige/Dawn said. "Paige, go back downstairs before Cole becomes suspicious and try and find a way to get him to shimmer out. Phoebe, we should go see Buffy and Piper."

"Can you please not tell mom or Piper. They already think I'm a screw-up as it is," Phoebe/Paige said as she headed for the basement stairs.

"Probably be a good idea for the time being," Paige/Dawn said. "I want to show Piper and Buffy we can figure this out on our own."

Dawn/Phoebe sighed. "Okay."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In the living room, An-Ling was explaining things to Buffy, Piper and Leo.

"Yen-Lo was a powerful disciple, but he used my father's teachings for evil. That's why my father passed him over for master. And because he did, Yen-Lo swore vengeance on him." An-Ling said.

"But didn't you say you stabbed Yen-Lo when he first attacked?" Leo asked.

An-Ling nodded, "Yes, but he used his knowledge of the teachings to escape before he died."

"Escape where?" Piper asked.

"To a place where souls pass on their way to reincarnation. It's a mystical region between life and death." An-Ling said.

Piper looked at Leo and Buffy for help.

"Limbo." Leo and Buffy said.

An-Ling nodded, "Yen-Lo somehow figured out a way to hide out there."

"But if you stabbed him—" Piper said.

Buffy shook her head, "Metaphysical and magical laws are amplified in limbo. As long as he stays there his wound will never advance. He can literally cheat death forever."

An-Ling nodded, "That's why I took the dragon blade. It has the power to trap human souls." Piper picks up the dragon blade. "Now it's the only way to save my father."

"You think he's still alive?" Piper asked.

"Yen-Lo just doesn't want to kill my father. He wants to punish him. Holding him in limbo does that. It keeps his soul from being reborn." An-Ling said.

Piper puts the dragon blade down. "Do you know how to, uh, get to this limbo? "

An-Ling shook her head, "No, I never mastered that skill."

"Well, then we'll have to figure out our own way." Buffy said.

"I can't let you do that. I know you're powerful witches, but I can't put you in danger. Yen-Lo will be coming for me next." An-Ling said.

Paige and Phoebe enter from the kitchen.

"All the more reason you should be here where it's safe." Piper said as she tucks a piece of hair behind her ear.

"No place is safe from Yen-Lo. He can use any surface of water as a portal." An-Ling said.

"Maybe, but he can only stay in our world for short periods. Otherwise, his wound will ultimately kill him." Leo said as Phoebe and Paige go behind him.

"Maaa … Buffy, Piper," Dawn/Phoebe said.

"This is An-Ling," Buffy said.

"Hi, I'm Dawn." Dawn/Phoebe said. "I'm Buffy's younger sister."

"I'm Paige," Paige/Dawn said.

"Where's Phoebe?" Piper asked.

"Basement, likely still training with Cole," Dawn/Phoebe said.

"Okay, we've got a water loving demon, so Aunt Dawn, can you go and get Phoebe to turn off the water main. It takes two to turn off that rusty valve." Piper said.

Dawn/Phoebe nodded. "Water main. Right," she turned and headed back to the kitchen.

"Why did you call her Aunt?" An-Ling wondered.

"It's complicated," Buffy said. "In my previous life, I was Piper, Phoebe and Paige's mother, I even have my memories from that lifetime. They call me mom because of all that. And since Dawn is my sister, she is affectionately referred to as aunt by the girls, even if she isn't biologically."

"Oh."

"Okay, Book of Shadows," Piper said. "There's got to be another way to get into limbo."

"Paige, I need you to call Willow for me," Buffy said. "See if she can find anything in the books Giles left behind."

"Okay, Bu … mom," Paige/Dawn said.

Piper, Leo, Buffy and An-Ling got up and headed for the attic.

"And mom," Piper said, "be careful around water."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Those things you won't let me forget keep adding up don't they. And that one is not a pleasant memory either."

"Sorry, mom," Piper said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Paige/Dawn was heading for the phone in the foyer when the doorbell rang. She turned and opened it to find a man standing there. "Can I help you?" she asked.

The man laughed. "Sense of humor. I really like that in a girl. So you ready to go, Paige?" he said.

"Paige. Uh—" Paige/Dawn said as Phoebe/Paige and Dawn/Phoebe came up behind her.

"Mason, hi. How are you?" Phoebe/Paige said.

"I'm fine. Do I know you?" Mason asked.

"No, no. But I know you. At least I feel like I know you seeing as how Paige can't stop talking about you, Mason the boss's son. He's as cute as you said he was." Phoebe/Paige said.

Paige/Dawn nodded in understanding. This was Paige's date. "So where are we going?"

"Is Italian okay?" Mason asked.

"Chinese," Phoebe/Paige said. "You must have Chinese. Chinatown Chinese, even better."

"That's—that's cool," Mason said.

"Okay," Phoebe/Paige said as she gave Paige/Dawn her coat. "So you two kids have fun. And keep my face out of the sun."

Dawn/Phoebe sighed. "Did she really need to go on your date?"

"For one, yes," Phoebe/Paige said. "And two it gives them an excuse to head to Chinatown for the ingredient I just remembered. I'll text her on the way so she knows which one."

"Who was at the door?" Piper asked as she and Buffy came down the stairs.

"Um, just Paige's date." Phoebe/Paige said.

"She's still going on her date?" Buffy asked as Phoebe/Paige and Dawn/Phoebe shrugged. She noticed that Phoebe/Paige was sucking on a lollipop. "What's with the lollipop? Surely Grams taught you girls to treat your teeth better than that."

"Paige sort of got me into them." Phoebe/Paige said as Dawn/Phoebe rolled her eyes.

"Mom, Aunt Dawn, Phoebe, I gotta be honest. I'm really starting to worry about Paige," Piper said.

"Why?" Phoebe/Paige asked. "What's wrong with Paige?"

"Well, first of all she made me realize I hate being the big sister. And it's suddenly my responsibility to teach her how to be a witch. Speaking of which Mom tell me again why you're not teaching her?" Piper said.

Buffy sighed. "Because I'm teaching Dawn."

Piper nodded. "Also Paige doesn't seem to listen to me."

"Oh, she listens... sometimes." Phoebe/Paige said.

"Really? Cause she's got me fooled. And you know what; it's a shame because both she and Aunt Dawn might actually have a lot of potential." Piper said.

"Really?" Phoebe/Paige asked.

Piper nodded, "But the problem is, I don't think Paige at least cares, about anything. Aunt Dawn though is understandable, she is a teenager and in school. Paige doesn't have that excuse."

"Oh, no. She cares. I know she does. You just have to give her a chance. I think Paige is the kind of person that… needs to learn from her mistakes. And believe me, she's learning fast," Phoebe/Paige said.

"Mm-hmm." Piper said as she headed toward the kitchen.

Phoebe/Paige sighed and put the lollipop in her mouth.

"Dawn, did you finish studying?" Buffy asked.

"Uh," Dawn/Phoebe said. "I … I think so."

Buffy's eyes narrowed as she looked at Dawn/Phoebe. "Dawn, who is Kendra?"

"A friend of yours," Dawn/Phoebe said with a shrug.

"Okay, who are you?" Buffy asked. "You are not Dawn."

Dawn/Phoebe sighed. "Yes I am, maaaa…Buffy."

"No you are not," Buffy said. "I know my sister, she would have known who Kendra was. If I had to guess you're Paige."

"No she isn't," Phoebe/Paige said. "I am. That's Phoebe. Please mom, don't tell Piper. We're fixing it. Dawn and Mason are stopping in Chinatown to pick up the final ingredient to reverse the potion's effects."

Buffy smiled and hugged Phoebe/Paige, "As long as you're trying to reverse it. I will keep my mouth shut. For now."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Buffy followed Phoebe/Paige back to the basement. "I gather you are going to try and practice Phoebe's powers, Paige?"

Phoebe/Paige nodded. "Yeah."

Phoebe/Paige tried several times to levitate, but it looked more like she was trying to do stretching exercises instead.

"Concentrate." Buffy said as Cole shimmered in.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"She's working on her levitation," Buffy said.

"Then you are ready to return to training?" Cole wondered.

Phoebe/Paige nodded. "Yes, absolutely."

"Good. We'll pick up where we left off." Cole said.

"Right. Cool," Phoebe/Paige said.

Buffy rolled her eyes wondering how Paige could be anymore un-Phoebe.

"I'll throw a couple of low voltage energy balls at you. You just try to avoid them," Cole said.

"Energy balls?" Phoebe said as Cole threw an energy ball and hit Phoebe in the shoulder, "Oh!" she said as Cole threw another and hit her on her rear. "Ah! Okay, now that's just rude. I am not having fun."

"Fighting the Source isn't supposed to be fun," Cole said.

Buffy let out a sigh as she watched all this happening. She thought back on all her training with Giles and Angel, while not fun either, was not this extreme also.

"That's it, pal," Phoebe/Paige said. "You are not the Source and you do not treat your girlfriend this way. Murderers, demons, phone solicitors maybe, but not your girlfriend."

"What's gotten into you?" Cole asked as he walked up to Phoebe/Paige.

Buffy shook her head. "Paige."

"Mom means... I told Paige how you've been treating me and she just thinks you're way out line, buddy." Phoebe/Paige said looking briefly at Buffy.

"Phoebe, you're the most important thing in my life. If I don't push you hard, I will lose you." Cole said.

"You keep pushing her that way, and you'll push her right out the door." Phoebe/Paige said.

"What do you mean her?" Cole asked.

"I meant me." Phoebe said.

Buffy sighed, "You said her."

Phoebe/Paige looked to Buffy, "Did I, mom?" She looked back at Cole, "Well, it's… I'm just - I'm very angry. You know? Because, well you tore my jog bra and now I just - I have to go change." She turned and ran up the stairs.

Buffy shook her head, "Cole she did have a point. Training to defeat the Source is important and we all should be doing it myself included. But she is right also, you are pushing too hard. You don't throw energy balls at your girlfriend and expect her to remain your girlfriend. Besides wanting to train Phoebe 24/7 you're not allowing her to have a normal life."

Cole sighed. "I just worry, okay. I love her; I don't want to see anything happen to her." He shimmered out.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Paige/Dawn and Mason enter the herb shop and she began looking for the ingredient that Paige had been missing.

"Uh, hmm. What is this place?" Mason asked noticing a jar of squids.

Paige/Dawn sighed as she glanced at Mason. "I just gotta find some powdered toadstool. Ah, here it is.," she said as she took a bag out of a basket.

"Okay, I-I gotta warn you. I'm not into the whole herbal scene."

"Oh, neither is Paige, I don't think," Paige/Dawn said.

"You always talk about yourself in the third person like that?" Mason wondered.

"Uh…" Paige/Dawn said trying to come up with an excuse. "It's kind of a character flaw."

"So what's the toadstool for?" Mason asked.

Paige/Dawn smiled. "It's an aphrodisiac," she said as she walked over to the counter.

"Really? My Dad was right. He said you were, uh, unique. I believe is the word he used," he said.

Paige/Dawn smiled. "Oh, yeah? What else did he say about me?"

"He said that if he doesn't hurry up and make a social worker, you'll probably quit and start your own agency. That or end up in jail. He wasn't sure which," Mason answered.

Paige/Dawn nodded. "I could see that," she said as she paid for the powdered toadstool. She looked at Mason and sighed. "I'm not showing you a very good time. Am I?"

"Well, I don't know," he said. "I mean we're in Chinatown shopping for a sexual stimulant. I'm surrounded by chicken claws and goat brains. I haven't this much fun in a long time."

"Neither have I," Paige/Dawn said with a smile," she said as thunder clapped outside. "Uh-oh. Yen-Lo."

"Uh, what's that? Another aphrodisiac?" Mason asked.

"I gotta go," Paige/Dawn said as she ran out of the store, leaving Mason behind.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In the attic Piper and Leo looked through Book of Shadows as An-Ling looked into a bowl of water.

"Anything?" Buffy asked as she stepped into the attic.

"There is actually nothing in here on how to reach Limbo, Mom." Piper said. "And we haven't heard anything from Willow, yet."

"Should you have that water up here?" Leo asked as he walked over to An-Ling. "I mean what if Yen-Lo uses that as a portal. "

An-Ling shook her head. "It's okay. The surface is too small for him to enter."

"So, what are you doing?" Buffy asked as she and Piper joined Leo and An-Ling.

"My father could use water as a looking glass into other worlds. Once when I was young, he reached into a bowl of water and picked me a plum from the Garden of Eden." An-Ling said.

"Can you see your father now?" Leo asked.

"No. I only see water." An-Ling said as she put the bowl down. "I wish he were here. He'd know what to do."

"I better go check with the Elders. Maybe they can help us reach Limbo," Leo said.

"Leo." Buffy said. "While you're up there could you ask them…?"

"About the memories and yours and Dawn's powers?" Leo asked and Buffy nodded. "I will ask while I'm up there." He orbed out.

"Sometimes I think Yen-Lo was right. My father made the wrong choice. Yen-Lo was always the better student." An-Ling said,

"Oh, I doubt that." Piper said as she and Buffy sat down in front of An-Ling. "You beat him in battle."

"But I didn't kill him. I made him stronger. Strong enough to remove my father's magic and wisdom from the world. I don't feel worthy of following in his footsteps." An-Ling said.

Piper nodded, "I understand. I recently lost my big sister who was… pretty good at just about everything she did. Very tough shoes to fill," she looked to Buffy. "And of course Prue was always trying to fill yours."

"Where did you find the strength?" An-Ling asked.

Piper shook her head. "I haven't yet, but I'll let you know when I do," she said as she looked at the window and saw it was raining. "Come on. With all this rain, we have to protect the house from Yen-Lo."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Paige/Dawn walked through the front door and puts down her bag on the table as Cole came down the stairs.

"Cole!" Paige/Dawn said. "You scared me."

Cole smiled. "Sorry. I didn't mean to. With the rain outside and everyone on Yen-Lo alert."

"Yeah, Yen-Lo. That's why I rushed home."

"You're chilled. Here put this on." Cole said as he offered her his jacket.

"Uh, you keep it." Paige/Dawn said as he pinned her to the wall.

Cole smiled. "I'm sorry. Am I making you feel... uncomfortable?"

"No, of course not," Paige/Dawn said. "I was just wondering what Phoebe would think about this."

"Phoebe?" Cole asked.

Paige/Dawn nodded, "Uh, yeah. Your girlfriend, Phoebe. Remember?"

"Yes, see, the problem with Phoebe is she's so obsessed with training, she's not interested in—romance anymore." Cole said.

Paige/Dawn frowned. "I doubt that, Cole."

"You on the other hand," he said, "strike me as being full of passion. Desire. I miss that."

"I gotta go." Paige/Dawn said as he kissed her.

"Hey!" Dawn/Phoebe said as she and Phoebe/Paige came down the stairs.

"How could you do this?" Paige/Dawn wondered.

Cole put up his hands innocently. "Oh, come on. I'm just trying to have a little fun, Phoebe. Isn't that what you were complaining about me not doing?"

"Yeah, but I never meant for... did you just call me Phoebe?" Paige/Dawn said.

"Would you rather I kissed her?" Cole asked.

"I don't think Phoebe would want you kissing Paige while she is in Phoebe's body," Paige/Dawn said.

"Aunt Dawn is correct," Dawn/Phoebe said as Cole's eyes went wide in realization at the fact he had assumed incorrectly that Phoebe was in Paige's body. "

"How do you know?" Paige/Phoebe wondered before answering her own question. "Probably the same way Mom does."

"Buffy knows?" Paige/Dawn asked as Phoebe/Paige and Dawn/Phoebe nodded.

"Who is Kendra?" Dawn/Phoebe asked.

"She's the Slayer called after Buffy drowned in the Master's cave. She is Faith's predecessor," Paige/Dawn said. "Cole, you want to answer Phoebe's question?"

"Well, one thing," he said as he looked at Phoebe/Paige, "you suck at levitating. And for another, both you and Buffy set me straight about the way I've been treating the real Phoebe as only a sister and a mother could." Cole said.

"You did?" Dawn/Phoebe asked.

Phoebe/Paige nodded. "Someone had to. And apparently I wasn't the only one."

"Okay, I'm going to go. Let you guys work this out. When you're yourself again, give me a call." Cole said as he went to smack Dawn/Phoebe on the rear and then thought the better of it. "We'll have some fun." He shimmered out.

"Okay, we've got to get back into our own bodies. I am even getting confused." Paige/Dawn said.

"Piper, Buffy look out!" An-Ling called out from the kitchen.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In the kitchen Yen-Lo attacked Buffy, Piper and An-Ling. He kicked Piper who fell against Buffy, knocking her against the table, breaking it.

Phoebe/Paige and Paige/Dawn and Dawn/Phoebe ran in as An-Ling took out the Dragon blade.

"The dragon blade?" Yen-Lo said as he attacked An-Ling.

"Phoebe, stop him!" Piper said as Yen-Lo cut An-Ling and she dropped the dragon blade.

Phoebe/Paige levitated and started spinning in a circle in mid-air. Yen-Lo took the dragon blade and escapes through the dishwater in the sink.

Paige/Dawn grabbed Phoebe/Paige and pulled her down.

"Leo!" Piper called out as Leo orbed in. "An-Ling's hurt." She helped Buffy up, "You okay, Mom?"

Buffy nodded, "Yeah. I'm okay. I think we need a new kitchen table though."

"In this house that's nothing new," Piper said as she pointed at Paige and Phoebe. "You two, follow me!"

Leo healed An-Ling as Buffy, Paige/Dawn, Phoebe/Paige and Dawn/Phoebe followed Piper out of the kitchen.

"All right! What the hell is going on?" Piper asked.

"I was soaking some potion pots in the sink and I forgot to drain them." Paige/Dawn said.

Buffy sighed. "That is not what Piper means." She looked pointedly at Phoebe/Paige.

"I smell something witchy. Phoebe, what is wrong with your powers?" Piper asked. She waited for a response but no one responded. "Phoebe?"

"I'm over here," Dawn/Phoebe said.

"Don't get mad at her or even Aunt Dawn. This is all my fault." Phoebe/Paige said.

"Yeah, but Paige, Phoebe and I agreed to keep it secret." Paige/Dawn said.

Phoebe/Paige nodded. "Yeah, but I was the one that messed up the potion. I wasn't concentrating. I just guessed. You tried to stop me, remember."

"Oh, my god! You guys switched bodies! Are you out of your minds? What—with everything we have going on, you pull a stunt like this?" Piper said.

"It was an accident, Piper. You telling me you never made accidents when you were first learning?" Buffy said.

Piper looked to Buffy, "You knew?" she asked as Buffy nodded. She sighed and looked at Phoebe/Paige. "Accidents like that get people killed. We could have lost an innocent in there. What if it wasn't Yen-Lo? What if it was the Source that broke in? You could have gotten us all killed! Now we've lost our shot at Yen-Lo. We have no idea how to get to Limbo." She thought for a moment and pointed at Phoebe/Paige. "Wait a minute. Do, you remember what you put in that potion to switch bodies?"

Phoebe/Paige nodded. "Aunt Dawn just picked up the ingredient we were missing."

"Good. Let's go." Piper said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

kitchen Buffy, Piper, Leo, and An-Ling watched as Phoebe/Paige, Dawn/Phoebe and Paige/Dawn put together the potion.

Piper looked at Paige/Dawn. "All right, what else did you…?" she said before realizing she was talking to the wrong person. She looked at Phoebe/Paige. "I mean you, put in this."

"Just the powdered toadstool." Phoebe/Paige said.

Piper nodded, "All right soul sisters and soul aunt, back in your own bodies."

"I want to be me again." Phoebe/Paige, Paige/Dawn and Dawn/Phoebe said as Phoebe/Paige threw in the last ingredient into the pot.

Buffy, Piper, Leo and An-Ling waited anxiously.

"Oh, it's nice to see you, Aunt Dawn," Phoebe said.

Dawn smiled. "And it's nice to see you, Paige."

"And it's nice to be seen. My god, Aunt Dawn, what did you have for dinner?" Paige said.

"Kung Pao Chicken. Sorry." Dawn said.

"Okay. Not to cut this reunion short, but we don't have a lot of time." Buffy said.

"The only person who knows how to enter Limbo is in Limbo himself. And since we can't get to An-Ling's father down there, my plan is to bring him up here. Or at least his soul," Piper said.

"Wait, you want to swap souls with An-Ling's father?" Leo asked.

Piper nodded. "He's the only one who knows how to get in. Besides, it's the best way to surprise Yen-Lo."

Leo shook his head, he didn't like the plan. "It's too risky. There's gotta be another way."

"Did the Elders have any other ideas?" Piper asked.

"No." Leo said. "But we should talk later, Buffy. I do have answers for your questions."

"Then there's not. Okay." Piper said as she took the ingredient Paige had just dropped into the pot when she, Dawn and Phoebe had returned to their bodies. Buffy caught her arm before she had a chance to drop it. "Mom?"

"You don't know if you will need the power of three for Yen-Lo," Buffy said. "I go and then you guys can come save me."

"I don't like it, Buffy," Dawn said. "If something happens I'll lose you again."

"We'll all lose you again," Piper added.

Buffy embraced Dawn and smiled at her baby sister. "You're not going to lose me again. In fact you all are not going to lose me again, I promise," she said as she took the ingredient from Piper and threw it into the pot. "I want to be the Zen Master."

"You have a very brave mother," Buffy/Zen Master said before looking at Dawn, "and sister."

"I know," Dawn said as a smile graced her lips.

"Father?" An-Ling asked.

Buffy/Zen Master nodded. "Yes, An-Ling I'm here. We don't have much time. Where is the dragon blade?"

"I used it to fight Yen-Lo, but he knocked it out of my hands. Phoebe, did you pick it up?" An-Ling asked.

Phoebe shook her head. "No. Paige? Aunt Dawn? Piper?"

"I haven't seen it." Paige said.

"Neither have I." Piper and Dawn said.

Buffy/Zen Master frowned. "Then who has the dragon blade?"

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In Limbo Yen-Lo held the dragon blade. Zen Master/Buffy woke to find he was tied to a tree.

"What happened old man?" Yen-Lo asked.

"I don't know. What happened?" Zen Master/Buffy said.

"I was telling you how I stole the dragon blade from your useless daughter when you blacked out." Yen-Lo said.

"I did? I mean, I did. If you say so." Zen Master/Buffy said.

"Who are you?" Yen-Lo asked as he held the dragon blade to the Zen Master/Buffy's neck.

"I am one with the universe." Zen Master/Buffy said trying to bluff Yen-Lo into thinking he was who he said he was.

Yen-Lo laughed. "You think you can fool me? I was his disciple for twenty years," he said as he took the blade away from the Zen Master/Buffy's neck. "An-Ling doesn't have the power to switch souls. So you must be one of the witches, which means An-Ling and her father will come to rescue you. The question is… how they are going to get your soul back when I've got it." He placed the dragon blade on Zen Master/Buffy's chest and his soul is sucked into the dragon blade.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In the attic of the Manor Dawn, Phoebe and Paige walk through the attic door with the dragon blade's sheath.

"This is all we could find." Phoebe said.

"Then Yen-Lo must have the dragon blade." Buffy/Zen Master said as she waved her hand over a puddle of water. "And used it to capture your mother and sister's soul."

"What does that mean? How do we get mom back?" Piper asked.

"We need to get the dragon blade away from Yen-Lo." An-Ling said.

"Okay, so what are we waiting for? Show us the way." Phoebe said.

"I should go alone. Buffy did this for me to save my father's life." An-Ling said as Buffy looked at her curiously.

"No, she's my sister, she sacrificed herself for me. I think it's time I repaid the favor," Dawn said. "I'll go.

"You forget Aunt Dawn, she's our mother as well as your sister. We'll all go." Paige said.

"Is that what you were fighting to save? My life?" Buffy/Zen Master asked An-Ling.

"Of course, father. When we bring you back their Whitelighter can heal your wound. He's a miracle worker. I've seen him." An-Ling said.

"You are right. We should all go, but it is a different realm down there with new rules. Yen-Lo has had time to learn and adjust." Buffy/Zen Master said.

"Fine, then let's go." Leo said.

"If you go, you risk being pulled into the vortex. Who would heal our injuries?" Buffy/Zen Master said.

Piper nodded, "He is right, Leo. You should stay here," she said as she kissed her husband.

Buffy jumped into the puddle of water followed by Piper and An-Ling.

"Okay, here goes nothing." Phoebe said as she, then Dawn and finally Paige jump into the puddle of water.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"Mom!" Phoebe said as they arrived in Limbo. Piper, Dawn, Phoebe and Paige rush over to the Zen Master's body.

"The dragon blade. Where is it?" Dawn wondered.

"Quiet." Buffy/Zen Master said.

"Look out!" Piper called out as Yen-Lo attacked.

Buffy/Zen Master was kicked by Yen-Lo to the edge of the vortex.

"Father!" An-Ling called out as Dawn yelled, "Buffy!" They rushed to Buffy/Zen Master.

"Welcome to my turf." Yen-Lo said.

"Look! Yen-Lo's belt." Paige said as she pointed to the dragon blade and it orbed into her hand. "I didn't even call for it. It just happened."

"Our powered must be expanded here." Piper said. "You get mom's soul out of the dragon blade."

Phoebe looked to Piper. "I'm going to keep Yen-Lo busy. Maybe you should help Paige?"

Piper thought about it for a second and then nodded. It made sense, she could protect Paige while Phoebe fought Yen-Lo.

"Oh, it's you... black belt Barbie." Yen-Lo said as Phoebe rushed toward him.

"You're going to be sorry you said that." Phoebe said as she levitated and kicked Yen-Lo who flew backwards dropping his sword.

"Piper, what do I do?" Paige asked.

"Uh, I don't know." Piper said. "Use your powers, orb her soul."

Paige nodded as she looked at the dragon blade and orbed Buffy's soul out of it. "Now what?" she asked.

"Put it back in the body." Piper said.

"Thanks for the lift, sweetie," Zen Master/Buffy said as Paige orbed Buffy's soul into the Zen Master's body. "Untie me."

Paige untied the Zen Master/Buffy. "We've got to do something."

"What? I don't have my powers in this body." Zen Master/Buffy said. "Piper, you do though. Freeze him.

Piper raised her hands and Yen-Lo froze.

"Paige," Phoebe said as Paige orbed the dragon blade to her and she captured Yen-Lo's soul.

Suddenly all around them everything is transformed from the barren mountains to a beautiful garden.

"Oh my god, it's so beautiful. What happened?" Paige asked.

"Beats the hell out of me." Buffy said as she walked over to them.

"Mom?" Piper, Phoebe and Paige said as Dawn said. "Buffy?"

Buffy smiled and embraced first Dawn and then Piper, Phoebe and Paige. "Yeah it's me. I told you all that none of you were losing me again."

"The natural order of things has been restored," The Zen Master said as he and An-Ling joined them. "Including our souls."

"But how?" Piper asked.

"This was all a reflection on Yen-Lo's fears. Of a man afraid of crossing over. In truth, this is a peaceful place. Welcoming." Zen Master said.

"We need to get you home and heal your wound." An-Ling said.

Zen Master shook his head. "No. I was mortally wounded. It is my time to die, to be reborn."

"Their Whitelighter can heal." An-Ling said.

"An-Ling, you know better than to cling to the physical world. The way you clung to my hand on the bridge." Zen Master said.

"But you're my father." An-Ling said.

Zen Master nodded, "I'm no greater or less than anyone facing death. That's the only lesson that keeps you from being a true Zen Master. Death is a part of life. A transition, a rebirth, something that your young friends here have learned recently. Both in death and rebirth." He looked to Buffy who smiled.

"Go easy on her," Dawn said. "As someone who lost my mother and then briefly my sister all in the span of a few months. Loss can be a difficult thing to deal with."

The Zen Master looked to Dawn and nodded. He turned to Phoebe as she handed him the dragon blade. "Yes, Yen-Lo must be reborn too. It is the natural order of things." He started to head toward a vortex that dominated one side of the garden.

"I love you." An-Ling said.

"And I'll always love you, An-Ling." The Zen Master said as he walked with the dragon blade through the portal, disappearing on the other side.

"Does anyone know how to leave here?" Paige asked.

An-Ling smiled, "I think I know how to do it now." They all join hands in a circle and An-Ling and Phoebe levitate them up.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

The next day in a San Francisco Park; Buffy, Dawn, Piper and Paige walked down a lane of herbs.

"Aloe plant: medical uses. Toro herbs: magical herb." Dawn said.

"St. John's Wart: Medicinal herb. Ragged robin: magical herb." Paige said.

"Cupid's Dart: Strictly aromatic." Dawn said.

"That one?" Piper asked as she pointed to an herb.

"That is Angelica." Dawn said.

Buffy nodded, "And it's use?"

"Um, I think it's used mostly to flavor fish." Paige said as they walked toward Leo and Phoebe who were sitting on a blanket waiting for them.

"They both got every answer right." Piper said as Dawn and Paige slightly bowed.

"Yeah!" Phoebe said as Dawn, Buffy, Piper and Paige sat down. "So, uh, what inspired the turn around?"

"Well, I kind of liked the power boost I had in Limbo so it kind of made me want to work harder faster." Paige said.

"I've seen what Buffy's life was like as the Slayer. And while I don't look forward to the demon battles," Dawn said. "I want to be able to help people. And it kind of made me want to learn to control my power."

"Uh, don't be in too big a hurry. Either of you. Trust me; you want to fight like hell to keep a life separate from magic." Phoebe said.

"Here, here." Buffy and Piper said.

"And having a guy around like Mason is not such a bad thing." Dawn suggested.

"Dawn?" Buffy said with a shake of her head.

"What?" Dawn asked. "Just cause I'm fifteen, I can't find a guy good looking?"

"Well that's too bad. He cancelled on me for tonight," Paige said. "He said I was trying too hard and that I was not comfortable in my own skin."

"So much for impressing the boss, huh?" Leo asked.

Paige nodded, "Well, I can take comfort in the fact that he cancelled on Aunt Dawn and not me." She laughed a little.

"Hey!" Dawn said as she threw a little bit of food at Paige.

"Buffy." Leo said. "About your questions. The reason you have your powers is because of who you are. The Elders said they knew there was the possibility of your memories as Patty coming back. And they knew you would want to help the girls. You're not only Patty reincarnated but your Patty."

"But I look like my mom and dad." Buffy said.

"The changes in your appearance are cosmetic. The DNA of your birth parents showing through. But underneath that you are Patty Halliwell." Leo said. "That is her body you're in."

"So that means, Dawn…?" Buffy said.

Leo looked to Dawn and nodded. "Since the monks created her from you. She is like you. DNA showing through from your birth parents. But underneath it all she carries Warren blood. That is why she has the power of telekinesis."

Buffy nodded and looked at Dawn. "So I guess now you like me have two sets of parents."

"Guess so." Dawn smiled as Cole shimmered in.

"Well, here comes your personal trainer from hell," Leo said to Phoebe.

"Literally," Piper said.

"Oh, gotta go." Phoebe said as she stood and walked over to Cole. "Hi!"

"Wait a minute," Cole said as Phoebe tried to hug him. "Who are you?" She kissed him in hopes he could tell she was herself again. "Oh, I know... Paige."

"Uh!" Phoebe laughed a little. "So what's on our training schedule for today? Lightsabers?"

"Actually, I was thinking maybe we could have a private picnic of our own." Cole said.

"But what about training? I have to be ready for the Source." Phoebe said.

Cole nodded, "I know, but not right now. Right now, I was thinking I could take you to this great little picnic spot in, uh, the south of France."

"Really?" Phoebe asked.

Cole nodded, "Really." He shimmered out with Phoebe.

Buffy smiled as she looked at Piper and Leo and then thought of Phoebe and Cole. The people they both love are not someone she would have chosen. Even her relationships in both lives ended badly. She and Victor got a divorce. She and Sam were forbidden. Angel and Riley both left her. Still she was happy her daughters had men that made them happy. Of course she thought it could be worse. They could be like Grams.


	5. Chapter 4: A Knight to Remember

**Chapter 4: A Knight to Remember**

Victor Bennett read a newspaper in the living room of his apartment as a knock came at the door. He set the newspaper aside and went to open it to find Buffy standing there.

"Hello, Victor." Buffy said, smiling.

"Do I know you?" Victor asked.

"The reason we got divorced was because of Sam, my Whitelighter," Buffy explained. She had known that despite Victor knowing about magic that he might have a hard time accepting that his ex-wife was reincarnated into a new body. So she had come prepared with items only he and the family would have known. "On Piper's wedding day you said and I quote, 'Alright, who brought my ex-wife back from the dead?' And at the time you saw me I wasn't dead. What you saw was an astral projection. Every time I was summoned by the girls I appeared to them in a form they would recognize. Oh and on Piper's wedding day you told Piper at P3 that when we were married those were the best days of your life."

"Patty?" Victor asked as his eyes widened in realization. He was sure it was her, after all only he, Piper, Phoebe, Patty and Grams would have known what was said the day of Piper's wedding.

Buffy nodded, "Yes, Victor. It's me."

"How?" Victor asked.

"I was reincarnated." Buffy said. "Can I come in?"

Victor nodded and stepped aside as Buffy enter the apartment.

"I have to say, Patty you look good." Victor said.

Buffy smiled, "Thank you. And it's Buffy now."

"You'll always be Patty to me." Victor said. "I guess you know what happened to Prue?"

Buffy nodded, "I do. I attended her funeral."

"You did? Why didn't you say anything then?" Victor asked.

"Because, I was just coming to terms with my memories of being Patty. I wasn't sure if I could tell Piper and Phoebe that their mother was alive when last they knew I was dead." Buffy said.

"But you did?" Victor asked.

Buffy nodded, "Yes. In fact Dawn and I've moved into the Manor. Dawn and I live there now with Piper and Phoebe."

"Dawn?" Victor asked.

"Dawn is my sister in this lifetime. She's a minor and I'm her legal guardian," Buffy explained as she motioned behind her. Victor looked at the door to see Dawn standing in the door frame. "This is Dawn."

"Hello Victor." Dawn said. "Buffy has told me a lot of good things about you."

"You have?" Victor asked Buffy.

Buffy smiled. "Victor, we may not be married anymore. But you're still family."

Victor smiled and despite everything he and Patty had gone through he was glad she felt that way. He turned and looked at Dawn, "Hello, Dawn."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

The next morning Buffy made a pot of coffee as she reflected on the last week. She, Dawn, Piper, Phoebe and Paige had faced a man called Gammill, who shrank them with a wand and incased them in clay in preparation in turning them into weird figurines. Even though a power of three spell vanquished Gammill, it had been Dawn and Paige who had managed to actually defeat Gammill. They had used their powers, Dawn's telekinesis coupled with Paige's telekinetic orbing to summon the wand and shrank him to a size that a power of three spell would work. After Gammill was vanquished and they were returned to their former size Piper decided to rename the club. Buffy was surprised by the choice of new name, she had figured that Piper would rename it in her honor and call it Patty's. But Piper didn't rename it Patty's, she renamed it Dawn's P3.

"Look at me. I look like a drowned rat. I need my blow dryer," Phoebe said as she walked into the kitchen, her hair still wet from the shower.

"Pretend you're camping." Piper said.

Phoebe sighed. "I hate camping."

"Well, I hate instant coffee but I'm making it for my girls, aren't I?" Buffy said as she poured a cup and handed it to Piper. She watched as Piper took a sip and wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I know. Instant is just not as good."

"We can't keep living without any electricity. It's medieval." Dawn said as she walked into the kitchen, a towel wrapped around her head.

"At least we're conserving energy." Piper said.

"Well, this is ridiculous," Phoebe said as Dawn moved beside her. She draped an arm around her aunt. "We have to figure out when the Shocker demon's gonna attack next and fast."

"You need the Power of Three to vanquish him," Buffy said, "and unless you have forgotten, Paige lives across town."

Phoebe sighed and nodded as she removed her arm from around Dawn and headed for the phone. "I am going to call Paige," she said as she picked up the phone.

"Not the cordless!" Piper, Dawn and Buffy all shouted too late as the Shocker demon escaped from the phone.

They had learned very quickly that the Shocker demon was made of energy and hid within the wiring of the house. Which was why they had been living the last couple days without electricity.

The Shocker demon jumped on a table and threw bolts of electricity at them, it narrowly missed them and blew up a cupboard instead. It threw more bolts of electricity this time hitting Dawn and Phoebe.

Piper raised her hands and used her exploding power, startling the demon back into the wiring. She and Buffy knelt down next to Dawn and Phoebe. "Aunt Dawn, Phoebe, you two okay?" she asked.

"Yeah I'm okay," Dawn said as Buffy helped her up.

"No, I am not okay," Phoebe said as Piper helped her up. "Ow. Ow. Ow. This is so crazy. We have to call Paige and set up a time where she can come over and …"

Buffy sighed. "Phoebe, you can't schedule vanquishes, okay? Demon attacks don't usually fit into day planners."

"Okay, then, what do you suggest, Buffy?" Dawn wondered.

"I suggest that maybe," Piper said answering instead of Buffy, "Paige move in with us."

"Wait." Phoebe said as she, Piper, Dawn and Buffy sat at the table. "W—what did you just say?"

"She's gonna have to sooner or later, isn't she?" Piper said.

"I never really thought about it. And I can't believe you, of all people, are actually suggesting it." Phoebe said.

Piper sighed, "I'm just trying to be practical. Besides, I am sick and tired of Leo watching over her day and night, protecting her from various demons. You know, I would actually like to see my husband again."

"And I think it's a good idea that Paige is closer. Till she gets a handle of orbing down she needs to be close. Dawn and I can't help you with a Power of Three demon." Buffy said.

"On top of that I am still learning, remember?" Dawn said.

"I can understand all of that, but still that's a huge decision. Piper, do you think we're ready for that?" Phoebe said.

"Well we were ready for mom and Aunt Dawn moving in." Piper said.

"That's different and you know it." Buffy said. "Paige until a few weeks ago never knew Dawn or I existed, that I was your mother reincarnated. Of course neither did you two. But you two have gone your whole lives wishing for more time with me. It made sense that I moved here from Sunnydale so we could make up for the lost time. And of course since I'm Dawn's legal guardian she had to move with me."

"Not that I would have objected anyways," Dawn said.

Piper sighed. "All I know is that every demon that is out to impress the Source is attacking us. Which means we all need to be under one roof. Otherwise, we're too vulnerable." She looked at Buffy. "That goes for you also, mom. If a Power of Three demon were to find out you were our mother." She looked at Dawn. "Or that you, Aunt Dawn, are our aunt. Both of you would instantly be targets."

"We know." Buffy and Dawn said.

"I didn't mean are we ready as witches," Phoebe said. "I meant are we ready as sisters? I mean, what if we don't get along? It's different with mom because well she is our mother."

"But it's not different with Aunt Dawn though isn't it?" Piper reminded Phoebe. "She is our aunt more by association than by genetics. Still we welcomed her."

Phoebe sighed. "I know, you know maybe it's just too soon."

"There's only one way to find out," Piper said. "If it's too soon."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Dawn and Buffy followed Piper and Phoebe toward the door of Paige's apartment. Phoebe was about to knock when Leo orbed between her and the door.

"Hi," he said. "What's up?"

"What's up?" Piper asked. "How about a kiss for your long-lost wife, huh?"

"Oh, right," Leo said as he kissed Piper on the cheek.

"Hi." Piper smiled.

"Well, uh, bye," Leo said as he intended to orb out.

"Uh, what do you mean bye? We just got here," Dawn said.

"Right, well, you know. I don't want to leave Paige unprotected," Leo said.

"Uh-huh. Is she home?" Piper asked.

Leo nodded. "Yeah, she's home. She's just a little, uh, indisposed at the moment."

"W—wait, wait, you watched?" Buffy asked.

"Well, I didn't see anything!" Leo said in his own defense.

"Uh?" Buffy said.

"All right, just a little, but how else am I supposed to protect her?" Leo said.

"How about you do like your other charges," Buffy said.

Phoebe barged around Leo and into the apartment followed by Piper, Buffy, Dawn and Leo. They found Paige in bed with a man named Glen.

Paige immediately pulled a sheet up and covered her breasts with it.

"Sorry to interrupt," Phoebe said as she tried not to peak at Paige from behind her hands. "Can't see a thing."

"Phoebe Johanna Halliwell!" Buffy said, scolding.

"Wh—" Phoebe said looking back at Buffy.

"Maaa …" Paige started before remembering Glen. "Buffy, Dawn, Piper, Leo, what the hell is going on?"

"I know this looked bad, but it's very important. Believe me." Phoebe said as she noticed Glen. "Whoa."

Piper and Buffy each smacked Phoebe on the arm.

"Who are they?" Glen asked.

"The soon to be ex-sisters and… er… ex-cousins I was telling you about," Paige said.

Phoebe smiled and waved.

"Okay, we're sorry, but you know, we didn't know "which" way to turn if you know what I mean." Piper said.

"Maybe I should go." Glen said as he sat up.

"Oh, uh, here." Dawn said averting her eyes as she tossed Glen his jeans.

"Thanks," Glen said as he put them on.

"I'm sorry about this Glen. This is horribly embarrassing." Paige said before looking at Buffy as she thought to herself. 'Especially in front of my mother.'

"No worries," Glen said. "You obviously got some responsibilities. Plane leaves tomorrow." He kissed her on the cheek and walked into the bathroom.

"Plane? What plane?" Piper asked.

"Never mind," Paige said. "This better be important."

"I can't use my blow dryer." Phoebe said.

"So have you been attacked by the Shocker demon yet?" Piper asked.

"No she hasn't," Leo said.

"How would you know?" Paige asked.

"You don't want …" Buffy started to say before being interrupted by Phoebe.

"Because he's been watching you for the last week or so for your own protection," Phoebe said.

"You've been watching me?" Paige asked.

"Well, I didn't see anything," Leo said in his own defense.

"At least nothing very interesting," Phoebe said.

Piper nodded. "Right."

"Okay Piper, Phoebe, Leo. Out. Let me have a moment with my other daughter." Buffy said

"But-but-but we need to talk to her about the Shocker Demon…" Piper said.

"Piper Penelope Halliwell, do as you are told." Buffy said. "Dawn, would you herd them out please?"

Dawn nodded. "Okay," she said as she turned and herded Piper, Leo and Phoebe out the door and closed it behind them.

"Sorry about that, sweetie." Buffy said.

"It's okay, mom." Paige said.

"Sometimes I wonder what mother taught them. I'm sorry for barging in. We were going to knock." Buffy said. "When we have a moment we could use your help at the Manor. We have a Power of Three demon we can't vanquish without you."

"I'll think about it, mom." Paige said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"Alright! Calm down!" Piper said as she headed for the front door of Manor to answer the incessant knocking. As she opened the door she found Paige on the front porch.

"At least I knocked," Paige said as she walked past Piper into the foyer.

"Oh," Piper said as Buffy and Phoebe came up behind her.

"Hey, Paige." Phoebe said.

"I'm not here to talk to either of you." Paige said looking at Piper and Phoebe. "Mom and Aunt Dawn I'm talking to. I'm here to look at the Book of Shadows."

Buffy smiled as she embraced Paige for a moment. "Go right on ahead, sweetie. It's your Book, too."

"Hey, hey, we said we were sorry." Phoebe said as Paige headed up the stairs.

"Yeah, right," Paige answered.

"What do you think about moving in with us?" Piper asked.

"Piper!" Buffy said. "Now is not the time."

"Excuse me?" Paige asked.

"Well, that's what we came to talk to you about," Piper said ignoring Buffy's warning. "You know, we're tired of getting attacked by demons here and not being able to do anything about it."

"Yeah. But we could do something about it if we were together. You know, if we lived together 'cause that's when we're the strongest. What do you say?" Phoebe said.

Buffy sighed. "I can't believe you two."

"I have to agree with mom. Are you two out of your freaking minds?" Paige asked and she stormed up the stairs passing Dawn on her way to the attic.

"Don't people usually storm out of the house when they're angry?" Piper asked as she, Buffy and Phoebe followed Paige.

"You two are not so old that I can't bend you over my knee," Buffy said. "What is it that mother taught you two growing up."

"Buffy?" Dawn said as she stepped in line with her sister.

"Your nieces think it's a good idea to bully their sister," Buffy said as they walked into the attic to find Paige flipping through the Book of Shadows.

"So, you're not even gonna consider this?" Phoebe asked.

Buffy shook her head and looked to the heavens. "Mother is this, what you had to deal with, with Prue, Piper and Phoebe?"

Dawn shook her head and stifled a giggle.

"Nope." Paige said in answer to Phoebe's question.

"Why not?" Piper asked.

"Because if it was that easy for you guys to barge into my room all the way across town, imagine how easy it would be if I actually lived here." Paige said.

"Okay, could you stop looking at the Book for a second?" Piper said.

"It's her Book too." Dawn said.

"I know that, Aunt Dawn, and if she lived here, she could look at it all the time," Piper said with a glance at her aunt.

Paige looked up at them as she stopped flipping through the book. "I understand why you guys are asking me, I really, really do. It's just; I don't want being a witch to take over my life. It's just… too much responsibility."

"I know it is, Paige. And believe me, I freaked out in the beginning too. But I didn't have a choice, and neither do you." Phoebe said.

"As much as I hate to say this, Paige. I was like Phoebe," Buffy said as she glanced at Dawn. "Remember when we moved to Sunnydale?"

Dawn sighed and nodded. "I remember," she said. She looked toward Paige.

"When I was first called as a Slayer I fought Merrick on it," Buffy said. "I didn't want it. When I slayed Lothos, I was kicked out of school, moved two hours from my friends. At that point I wanted a normal life again. I didn't want to do it anymore. You should have seen me with Giles. We argued about it the first day we met. In the end I didn't have a choice, it was who I was, just as being a witch is who you are."

Dawn nodded. "Buffy is right. I've seen what being a Slayer did to her over the years."

Buffy looked at Dawn wondering what her sister wasn't saying. She didn't know what her life as the Slayer and her sacrifice on the tower had done to Dawn. How her sister during the months she had been gone had grieved for her nonstop. She also didn't know that thanks to Tara that Dawn had not committed suicide to be in heaven with her.

"Why not?" Paige asked. "Aren't you the ones who told me I should fight like hell to keep my life separate from magic?"

"Unfortunately, it doesn't always work out that way." Piper said.

Buffy nodded, "Piper is right, Paige. It doesn't always work out like that. I should know."

"Well, maybe it would if I didn't live here." Paige said as she returned to flipping through the book.

"If you're looking for the Shocker demon spell, we already found it." Phoebe said.

"I'm not. I'm looking for something else." Paige said.

"What are you looking for?" Dawn asked.

"Look, you may not want to share a bathroom, but when it comes to that Book, it concerns all of us." Piper said.

"Besides that, maybe we can help." Phoebe said as Buffy went over to Paige.

"Okay. I know it sounds stupid, but when I was little, I invented this horrible little fairy tale and it just always seemed really real to me. I don't know. Just…" Paige said as she flipped to a page entitled 'The Evil Enchantress'. "Oh my God."

"The Evil Enchantress?" Buffy asked looking down at the page in front of them.

Paige nodded, "That's it. That's—that's the evil witch, the one who kills the Prince after he gets her pregnant, of course."

"Of course." Piper said as she moved beside her mother and Paige.

"The spell. I can't believe it." Paige said as she looked at the next page entitled 'To Call a Lover to Oneself'. "Bring together my Prince and me, let him fall on bended knee."

"Paige, no," Buffy said.

"I summon him to my side," Paige continued on ignoring Buffy's warning, "that he may take me to be his destined bride. I finally got to finish it."

A gust of wind blew through the attic and suddenly a man appeared. Due to the spell Paige just cast, they figured he was the Prince. He looked around before spotting Paige and knelt before her. "My love," he said.

"Oh great," Buffy said. "And this is why we don't read spells from the Book aloud in front of the Book."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Paige ran through the Manor and into the kitchen with the Prince following her.

"Why do you run from me?" he asked as Buffy, Dawn, Phoebe and Piper ran into the kitchen.

"Why are you chasing me?" Paige replied.

"Because we are meant to be together," the prince said.

Paige sighed. "That is not true. Does this look like King Arthur's court, buddy?"

"It doesn't matter," he said. "We're meant to conceive an heir, my love."

"Ugh. Stop saying that," Paige said.

"You guys want some privacy?" Phoebe asked.

"This is not funny." Paige said as the prince walked towards her. "Plate." A plate orbed into her hand and she broke it over his head, knocking him to the floor.

"Oh!" Dawn said feeling sorry for the guy.

"Paige Elizabeth Matthews!" Buffy said.

"I'm sorry," Paige said, she felt sorry for hitting the guy on the head. "Did I hurt you?"

"You could never hurt me, my love," he said as he kissed Paige's hand.

"Piper, Mom, either of you do that thing you do." Paige said.

Piper glanced toward Buffy. "I don't want to blow him up."

Buffy nodded as she raised her hands and the prince froze.

"Thank God chivalry is dead," Paige said as she pulled her hand away from the prince's lips and wiped it on her shirt. "He is getting on my last nerve."

"Okay, well, he must be under some kind of spell." Phoebe said.

"Gee, you think?" Piper said.

Paige nodded, "The evil Enchantress. She cast a love spell on him."

"So why is Sir Lust-a-lot lusting after you?" Dawn asked, curious.

Buffy nodded. "That's a good question."

"How should I know?" Paige said.

"Well, because it's your damn fairy tale and it's alive and frozen in our kitchen." Piper said.

"Piper!" Buffy said. "Language, young lady."

"Mom, I'm older than you," Piper said with a roll of her eyes.

"Uh, where are you going?" Phoebe asked as they followed Paige out of the kitchen and toward the front door.

"I can't handle this," Paige told them.

"Wait, Paige, you can't just leave." Piper said.

"Yes I can. I don't live here." Paige said.

Buffy and Phoebe sighed. "Paige."

"What?" Paige said.

"Look, you can't keep running away from these things." Phoebe said as Paige opened the front door. "That's what we're trying to tell you. Being a witch is not a part-time job."

"Yeah, well, if I don't leave now, I'm not going to have a full-time job." Paige said as she left.

"Paige, the Charmed Ones come first!" Piper said.

"The Charmed Ones come first?" Dawn asked with a roll of her eyes.

Piper nodded, "It always worked when Prue said it."

Buffy shook her head as she, Piper, Phoebe and Dawn walked into the living room. "And maybe that's what's wrong, Piper. She's not only a Charmed One but your sister also."

"The VCR? Who set it to record?" Piper asked as they noticed the TV was on and the VCR was recording.

"Not me, promise," Dawn said just as the tape ejected and the Shocker Demon escaped out of the wiring of the VCR.

Piper raised her hands and blew up the TV. The demon threw electricity at Piper, throwing her over the couch. Phoebe levitated and kicked at the demon who grabbed onto her leg and started electrocuting her.

Dawn squinted and telekinetically used a coat stand to push the demon away from Phoebe, who fell to the floor.

"Piper!" Buffy said as Piper got up.

Piper raised her hands and aimed for the demon again. She missed but managed to scare the demon back into the electrical wiring.

"Phoebe," Buffy said as she helped Phoebe to her feet.

"I'm okay, I think," Phoebe said.

"We've gotta convince Paige to move in with us soon before there's nobody left to move in with." Piper said.

"I guess we need a new TV." Phoebe said.

"You guys forgetting something?" Dawn asked.

"Oh, the Prince." Piper said.

"The Prince." Phoebe said as they rushed into the kitchen and found he was gone. "He's gone? What? Did he go back to fairy tale land?"

Buffy shook her head noticing the back door was open. "No, the back door is wide open. So he probably went after Paige."

"He left?" Phoebe asked as she grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge. "So he's just wondering around in chain mail?"

"It's San Francisco. Nobody will notice." Piper said.

"Well, sooner or later, somebody's gonna notice and the medieval trail's going to lead them right back to us." Phoebe said.

Buffy nodded, "Phoebe's right, sweetie."

"All right, Phoebe you try scrying for him and if that doesn't work, I'll have Leo orb Paige back here and hopefully the Prince will follow." Piper said.

"Maybe we should try a different approach with her." Phoebe said.

"She's not gonna come back here voluntarily." Piper said.

"No. I mean about getting her to move in. Maybe it's too soon for her too." Phoebe said.

"Now that's the first smart thing I've heard either of you say all day." Buffy said.

"Mom!" Piper and Phoebe said as Dawn smiled.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Dawn watched as Phoebe scryed for the prince. She glanced over at Buffy who sat across the room on the couch.

"Darryl. Darryl. Darryl!" Piper said holding a phone to her ear. "Slow down. Okay, car jackings happen all the time. Why are you calling us? A garbage truck?" She glanced at Buffy as she sat down next to her. "At sword point. We'll get back to ya."

"Please don't tell me that the police found him." Phoebe said as Piper hung up the phone.

"Not yet. How about you?" Piper answered

Phoebe sighed. "Nothing."

"I could have told you that. He's not a witch and he's not a demon, so…" Buffy said.

"All right. Le..!" Piper said as Leo orbs in. "O. Hi."

Leo smiled, "Hi."

"Where's Paige?" Phoebe asked.

"Paige? She didn't wanna come." Leo said.

"She what? Did you explain the situation to her?" Piper said.

Leo nodded, "Yes."

"And she still refused to come? Leo, we are up to our pointy little hats in demonic problems here. We need her." Piper said.

Leo nodded, "She knows that."

"I don't understand. We're her sisters, Mom is her mother, and Aunt Dawn is her aunt" Phoebe said.

Buffy sighed, "Yeah, but that's not the reason you need her. As I've been trying to tell you all day."

"Is there more to that or are you two just gonna leave us hanging?" Phoebe asked.

"Look, neither Buffy nor I want to get in the middle of this," Leo said as Buffy nodded, "this is between you guys. But I will tell you that Buffy's right, just wanting her to battle demons with you isn't enough of a reason to get her to move in."

Piper nodded, "It's a pressing reason."

"But it's not a sisterly one." Phoebe said.

"And Phoebe has finally learned the answer to the problem. If you want her to move in. You need to approach her as sisters. Not as a Charmed One." Buffy said. "It's why Dawn and I can talk to her when she won't listen to you guys. Because we treat her like she's my daughter and a person instead of a witch."

"In the meantime, you need to find the Prince before he exposes you. So I suggest you check with the Book of Shadows and get up to speed on Paige's fairy tale and I will check with the Elders and see what they know." Leo said.

"Leo can I see you for a minute before you go see them?" Buffy asked.

Leo nodded and he, Dawn and Buffy moved into the conservatory. "What is it?"

"I've been wondering. Who's my Whitelighter? Is it still Sam?" Buffy asked.

"Who's mine?" Dawn asked.

"I don't know about either of you," Leo said. "You do know what happened to Sam right, Buffy?"

Buffy nodded. "Piper and Phoebe filled me in. How he clipped his wings because of what happened to me. And then with the help of Prue he vanquished the demon that had killed me."

"I don't know if they gave him his wings back after that or not. I'll check when I check in with the Elders. And I will check for you also, Dawn," Leo said and he orbed out.

Dawn and Buffy headed upstairs to the attic to find Piper lighting some candles and Phoebe looking through the Book of Shadows.

"I don't see what the big deal is. You'd think she'd want to move in here, considering the dump she lives in." Piper said.

"Piper." Phoebe said.

"Just wait till the Shocker Demon attacks her, then she might not be so resistant to the idea." Piper said.

"Piper Penelope Halliwell, let it rest." Buffy said. "Paige will come around when she's ready."

"'Defiant, clever, and independent.' That kinda describes Paige, don't you think?" Phoebe said looking at the 'Evil Enchantress' page in the Book.

"It could be me." Dawn said as she, Buffy and Piper moved beside Phoebe and looked at the book. "Buffy can attest to that I have indeed been at least defiant and independent at times."

Buffy nodded. "She has."

"Listen to this. 'A powerful witch who came to the craft late but learned to use it quickly.' I'm telling you, this is Paige." Phoebe said.

"What are you gettin' at?" Piper asked.

"Well, don't you think that it's a huge coincidence that Paige's fairy tale just happens to be in the Book of Shadows and that this Prince just happens to show up in the 21st century head over heels in love with her?" Phoebe said.

"Connect the dots will you?" Piper said.

"You think it's a past life don't you?" Buffy asked.

Phoebe nodded, "It makes sense. We've seen where memories from past lives can return. Look at yourself, mom, you're after all living proof of past life memories coming back to you in your present life. So what if Paige's fairy tale is not a fairy tale? What if it's a memory? Paige's memory from a past life?"

Piper looked to Buffy. "It's possible I guess. Like Phoebe said we got a living example of that right here with you, mom," she said just as a portal opened. "This doesn't look good."

The Enchantress walked out of the portal and blew Buffy, Dawn, Piper and Phoebe off their feet. "Where is the Prince?" she asked before she threw a lightning ball at them and they ran out of the attic.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Later in the kitchen Phoebe put out a small fire with a fire extinguisher as Piper ran in and put out a fire on a chair at the breakfast table.

"I got it! Living room's clear." Piper said as Buffy ran in.

"Conservatory is clear." Buffy said.

"Upstairs is clear." Dawn said as she walked in.

Phoebe put down the fire extinguisher. "So is the kitchen," she said. "Why do you think she left so suddenly? What did trashing our house become too boring for her?"

"She probably realized we don't have the Prince," Piper suggested. "Great. It's not like we're having enough problems with Paige. We have to deal with her past life, too?"

"Okay, I found out about the Prince," Leo said as he orbed in. He looked around at the destruction the Enchantress had wrought just in the kitchen. "What the hell happened here?"

"Paige's past life almost killed us. That's what happened here." Buffy said.

"What?" Leo asked.

"Evil Enchantress and Paige are the same soul, different lifetimes." Buffy said. "Is past lives that hard to accept Leo when you have a living example living in the Manor? Anyways she came through some magical portal looking for the Prince."

"Okay, well, you guys have to stop her. You can't let her find him. According to the Elders, if she conceives his heir, dark magic will rule his kingdom forever. History will be rewritten. Your future…" Leo said.

"Will be screwed," Piper interrupted. "The world will plunge into darkness. Yadda, yadda, yadda!"

Dawn and Buffy looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

"Okay, that's not helping." Phoebe said noting the look on her mother and aunt's faces before looking at Leo. "So if we vanquish Past Paige, don't we risk vanquishing our Paige too?"

"Possibly." Leo said.

"Well, then fine. We won't vanquish her. We'll bind her powers and send her back in time, hopefully a virgin. Okay. Let's get some candles. We have a potion to concoct." Piper said.

"Oh and Buffy. Dawn. For now I've been assigned as your Whitelighter." Leo said. "They are considering giving Sam back his wings and if they do you both will probably be switched to him."

"Okay," Buffy and Dawn said with a nod.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

At Paige's apartment, Paige sat on the couch in front of the Prince who knelt before her. "I still can't believe that you exist," she said, "that you're actually real. I always wanted to save you from the evil Enchantress so you could live happily ever after."

"Be with me and I shall," he said. "Come with me. Live in my castle as my princess."

Paige sighed. "What is it with everyone wanting me to move in with them?"

"I can give you all the riches you desire. I can take you away from all of this."

Paige smiled at the tempting image he was painting. "As tempting as that is, I know it's just the spell talking."

"But isn't that what true love is?" the Prince asked as he sat down next to Paige. "Falling under someone's spell? Just tell me what you want and I'll give it to you. I swear."

"Can you make me as good as Prue was?" Paige wondered.

"Uhh..." Prince said, confused wondering who Prue was.

Paige sighed. "Never mind. You wouldn't understand."

"Try me," the Prince said as he leaned in to kiss Paige just as Leo orbed in with Dawn, Buffy, Piper and Phoebe.

"Hey!" Piper said as she froze the Prince.

Paige gasped at what had just happened not only were her sisters barging in again but Piper had frozen the Prince. "What is going on with this barging in thing?" she asked as she stood up. "This is getting ridiculous."

"Sorry. Piper thought he was attacking you." Buffy said trying to defuse the situation.

"He was kissing me. It's called kissing," Paige explained. "And what are you doing here anyway? I told you I'd call if I needed to."

"Well, something's come up," Leo answered. "Something you're not gonna like."

"Something worse than this?" Paige asked as she waved toward the frozen Prince and then toward her sisters.

"Buffy's not the only one who has a past life," Dawn explained. "The evil Enchantress is here, in our world. She nearly killed us trying to get to him."

"Oh my God," Paige said shocked as she sat back down.

"Actually that's not the worse part. Remember how we were wondering how she cast a spell on him, but he fell for you?" Piper said.

Paige nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, that's because you're her. Well, I mean… she-she's…" Phoebe said.

"As Dawn said," Buffy said, "I'm not the only one who has a past life. You were the evil enchantress in one of your past lives. So when you read the spell in the Book of Shadows, he came. And that's also why you remember the fairy tale so well. Because you've actually lived it once before."

"Okay! I can deal with this. Yeah. No wonder I related to her the most. Does this mean I'm evil?" Paige said.

"Yeah," Piper agreed.

"No!" Phoebe and Buffy said in objection to Piper's yes.

Piper sighed. "No."

"No. Not you. Just your past self. You've grown and evolved. Believe me, we… we all have. That's what we do," Phoebe said before looking at Buffy. "Some more than others."

Buffy sighed, "Yes I was given the choice to continue. Something that most when they are reincarnated don't get."

"Anyways, the plan is to bind the Enchantresses powers with this little potion," Piper said as she, Dawn, Buffy, Phoebe, and Leo held up potion vials.

"I'll do it." Paige said as she stood up and took Piper's vial.

"All right. Then we'll…" Piper said.

Paige shook her head, "No. I mean by myself. I put you guys in danger. I'll get you out of it. It's my story. I have to end it once and for all."

"But you don't even know how to find the Enchantress." Leo reminded Paige.

"Well, she's after the Prince, right?" Paige asked. "I'll just backtrack and surprise her."

"There's no reason for you to do this alone. It's not just your story anymore. You've got sisters, a mother, and an aunt now." Phoebe reminded Paige.

"But if you wanna do it by yourself, then go for it." Buffy said.

Paige nodded and smiled at Buffy, "I do, Mom."

"Yeah. If that's what you want, we'll be here. Uh, with the Prince." Piper agreed as Paige left.

"Why'd you two let her go?" Phoebe asked.

Buffy looked to Piper and smiled. "Why don't you tell her."

"Because it's time we realize we can't make her do something she doesn't want to do," Piper answered.

"Exactly." Buffy said. "Dawn and I chose to move into the Manor. If Dawn hadn't wanted to I wouldn't have done it. Anyways Paige needs to decide for herself if she wants to move in also. You can't force her even if it is for good reasons. She has to want it herself."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

On the street Paige noticed the Enchantress walking toward her and got an idea as she quickly got in her car. She started it and hit the gas intent on running the Enchantress over. As she watched the Enchantress raise her arms she found no matter how much she pressed down on the gas pedal the car refused to move forward. It felt to Paige like a huge gale of wind was buffeting her car. As one of her car tires popped she stopped the car and got out.

"Don't tell me I become good in the future," the Enchantress said.

Paige smiled. "Damn good," she said as she threw the potion towards the Enchantress, who zapped it with her power.

"And here I was so looking forward to meeting myself," the Enchantress said as she blew Paige onto the hood of her car and Paige smashed into the windshield knocking her unconscious.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In Paige's apartment Buffy and Piper looked at Leo as they noticed a frown crease his face.

"What is it?" Buffy asked.

"Something's wrong. Paige is in trouble." Leo said.

"Well go, go, go!" Buffy said as Leo orbed out.

"Remember me?" the Enchantress asked as she strode through the door to Paige's apartment.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

On the street Leo orbed in and holding his hands over Paige he healed her. "What happened?" he asked as she woke up.

"Uh… evil Enchantress." Paige said as a bright light shone out of her apartment window. "Oh no."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In Paige's apartment Buffy, Dawn, Piper and Phoebe dove over the bed.

"Come to me, my Prince," the Enchantress said as a portal opened in the room and the Prince walked in to it. The Enchantress sent a gust of wind towards Buffy, Dawn, Piper and Phoebe and the followed the Prince through the portal.

"We can't just let them get away." Phoebe said.

"What are we supposed to do? Go back to the middle ages, the dark ages, or whatever hell ages those are?" Piper said.

"If we don't, good magic will be gone forever." Buffy said.

Piper and Buffy jumped through the portal as Leo and Paige walk through the front door.

"No." Paige said as she watched Dawn and Phoebe followed Piper and Buffy through the portal as it closed. "What have I done? This is all my fault. Mom, Aunt Dawn, Piper and Phoebe were crazy to trust me. Why didn't I listen to them?"

"Now is not the time to lose it, Paige. We need to get them back." Leo said.

"Get them back?" Paige asked. "How do we do that? Hop on a bus to medieval times?"

"Paige, concentrate. You're a powerful witch, whether you like it or not." Leo said.

"Yeah, well, I wasn't powerful enough to take out the Enchantress, was I?" Paige said.

"You know, one thing your past life should tell you is that you've always been powerful. You still have that power inside of you. Don't be afraid to tap into it now." Leo said.

Paige sighed. "Okay. This is my fairy tale, right?"

Leo nodded, "Yes."

"This all started with a spell that brought the Prince here, so maybe if I rearrange it a little? What if instead of bringing the Prince to me, I bring myself to him?" Paige said.

"Creating your own portal?" Leo asked.

Paige nodded, "It's worth a shot. 'Bring together my Prince and me, his kingdom now I wish to see, crossing history to his side, from myself I will not hide,'" she said as a portal opened up. "Oh my God. I did it. It worked." She walked through portal as Leo looked at it expectantly. She popped her head back out when he didn't follow her through. "Come on. I'm not doing this by myself." She pulled him through the portal.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In the Enchantress castle sometime in the past; Buffy, Dawn, Piper and Phoebe were chained to a wall in the Enchantress dungeon. Next to them in a cell was Lady Julia.

"So are you two still glad you told Paige to go for it?" Phoebe asked.

Piper sighed, "Hey, you were the one that wanted us to be more sisterly towards her."

"Piper Penelope Halliwell! Phoebe Johanna Halliwell!" Buffy said, scolding. "Now is not the time."

"You know, I still don't understand who you four are. W—what land did you come from?" Lady Julia said.

"Disneyland. Future world." Dawn said.

Buffy shook her head, "Dawn."

"We're witches and we have the potion that will stop the Enchantress." Piper said.

Phoebe nodded, "Yeah, let's go get her. Oops! We can't, because we're chained to a wall!"

"Mom? Can you?" Piper said.

Buffy shook her head, "I think their spelled to be indestructible. Even with Slayer strength I'm not strong enough."

"Mom?!" Lady Julia asked quizzically noting that Buffy looked younger than Piper and Phoebe.

"It's a long story." Buffy said.

"But wouldn't you have lost your Slayer powers when we went back?" Dawn asked.

"Maybe," Buffy said. "But maybe not, after all remember there are two Slayers in our time. Faith and myself. So what is to say that there can't be two people in the past with the Slayer abilities?"

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In the Evil Enchantress' bedroom the Prince laid on the bed as the Enchantress walked toward him in nothing more than a nightgown.

"Okay, find Mom, Aunt Dawn, Phoebe and Piper. I'll try to hold her off till they get here." Paige said as she and Leo peeked around the corner.

"How? Your powers don't work in the past," Leo wondered.

"Yeah, but if we really are one in the same," Paige explained, "I should be able to tap into hers. Hurry. Go get my sisters, my mother and my aunt."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In the dungeon Leo came running through the door having searched the castle for Piper, Phoebe, Buffy and Dawn. "Piper!" he said excitedly.

Piper smiled, "Leo!"

"Phoebe! Buffy! Dawn!" Leo said as he ran over to Piper and tried to unchain her.

"Oh! Easy, easy." Piper said as guard came up behind Leo.

"Behind you!" Phoebe and Buffy warned.

The guard pushed Leo away from Piper. As the guard unsheathed a sword Leo noticed another sword hanging on a nearby wall. He grabbed it and brought it down in front of him. As the guard tripped him, he blocked an attack and managed to knock the guard out.

"Nice!" Piper said.

"Wow." Phoebe and Dawn said.

Buffy shook her head as Leo rushed over to them and began working on Piper's chains again.

"Leo." Piper said.

"I thought you were a pacifist." Phoebe said.

Leo looked back at the guard, "I didn't kill him, did I?" he asked as he unlocked Piper's chains.

"I—I gotta tell you, I find this side of you very sexy." Piper said, smiling.

"Really?" Leo asked as he blushed slightly. He moved to Phoebe and began undoing her chains

Piper nodded, "Yeah."

"You've been holding out on us." Phoebe said as she was freed.

Buffy and Dawn looked at each other rolling their eyes as Leo came to them and unlocked their chains. Just then they heard a zap coming from the bedroom.

"What's that sound?" Buffy asked.

"Paige. Potion! Potion! Potion!" Piper said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In the bedroom the Enchantress tried to zap Paige with a bolt of lightning.

"Don't hurt her." Prince said as he tried to protect Paige. The Enchantress using her power blew him off his feet.

"Throw the potion!" Paige said Piper, Leo, Phoebe and Dawn walked through the door. She blew the Enchantress off her feet using the Enchantress own power. "Now!"

Dawn, Buffy, Piper and Phoebe threw the bottles of potion and they explode in front of the Evil Enchantress.

As the Enchantress tried to use her power, she found it nolonger worked. "What have you done to me?" she asked.

"We've bound your powers, Enchantress." Leo said.

"No more kingdom come for you." Phoebe said.

Piper smiled, "Not for you."

"How could you do this to me? To us?" Evil Enchantress said looking at Paige.

Paige smiled, "I didn't do it. We did it."

Lady Julia ran through the door and helped the Prince to his feet.

"Oh." Piper said as she looked away from the kiss that Lady Julia gave the Prince.

"A little squeamish when it comes to public display of affection. Are we Piper?" Buffy asked.

Dawn laughed. "At least I have an excuse to be squeamish. I'm a teenager."

"I am well, my love," Prince said as he looked lovingly at Lady Julia.

"My love. Looked like it takes the kiss of true love to break the spell," Phoebe said.

Paige smiled, "It's in every fairytale."

"All right, super witch. Get us out of here." Piper said and Paige opened the portal.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In the present a portal opened into Paige's apartment and Buffy, Dawn, Piper, Phoebe and Paige stepped out of it.

Paige sighed as she looked at the mess the Enchantress had made. "Okay, so I won't be getting my security deposit back," she said.

"Yeah," Piper said with a glance at Buffy and Dawn. "Too bad you don't have any other place to stay."

"It's no pressure. It's totally up to you, whenever you're ready." Phoebe said.

"Yeah, who needs electricity anyway?" Piper said as Dawn raised her hand. "That was rhetorical, Aunt Dawn."

"I wouldn't have to stay in the basement would I?" Paige wondered.

"We will have to do some juggling but no I don't think so." Buffy said. "Though one of us may have to put a bed in the attic."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

A few days Paige opened the door to the Buffy's former room, which had been Prue's before. Buffy had given Paige the room and she had taken the bed in the attic.

"Tada! What do ya think?" Paige asked.

"Wow. It's definitely different." Piper said as she looked around the room. Gone was everything that had been Prue's. When Buffy and Dawn had moved in Buffy had not changed a thing. While she had not admitted it she had wanted to leave it alone as a reminder of the daughter she would not get to see again.

"It's definitely you," Phoebe added.

"Is that a good thing?" Paige asked.

Buffy nodded, "Of course it's a good thing."

"Good, 'cause I was actually thinking the living room could use a little spicing up." Paige said.

Piper shook her head, "Don't push it," she said as they heard a knock at the front door downstairs.

"Oh, I hope that's not another one of your past lives." Dawn said dramatically.

Paige shook her head, "No, it's just Glen. I asked him to drop by."

"Oh, the cute guy from the apartment? He's yummy." Phoebe said.

Paige nodded, "Yeah, he is, but he's gonna have to be yummy in Australia. He's leaving. He asked me to go with but, I decided to pass."

"Are you disappointed?" Buffy wondered.

Paige nodded, "A little, but it's not like I'll be lacking in adventures here. Speaking of which." She looked to Piper and Phoebe as she Dawn moved over next to the light switch. "Shall we?"

"Hit it." Phoebe said as Dawn turned on the light and the Shocker demon materialized.

"Vanquish we three witches cry, one final shock and then you die." Phoebe, Piper and Paige chanted.

Buffy smiled, she couldn't be more proud of her daughters right then as the Shocker demon was vanquished.

"Okay. Piece of cake." Paige said. "Now, Mom. Are you sure you don't want the room. I can take the bed in the attic."

"I'm sure." Buffy said. "This way everyone including Dawn gets their own room."

Paige nodded, "Ok. Gotta go. And don't forget... if you need me, please knock," Paige said as she left.

"And they lived happily ever after." Piper said as she and Phoebe followed Paige out.

Buffy looked to her sister as she closed the door behind Piper and Phoebe. "Yesterday you were saying you knew how hard things had been for me. But there was something else, wasn't there? Something you left unmentioned."

Dawn nodded. "Yes. Something I am deeply ashamed to admit, Buffy. If it hadn't been for Tara, I would have committed suicide. While you were gone, the depression was too much."

"You were that depressed?" Buffy asked as Dawn nodded. "How did Tara help?"

"She gave me another reason to live," Dawn said. "You remember how I was supposed to be created from you?" Buffy nodded. "But were not identical. You ever wonder why? With a little tweak of the spell they could have made me an identical twin."

"Yeah," Buffy said. "I think see where you're going. They used someone else's blood besides mine."

Dawn nodded. "They did, Faith. Tara and I visited Faith in jail last summer before Willow resurrected you. We got a sample of her blood and Willow did a small comparison. Faith is my sister also. I share some of her blood alongside yours. We went back and told Faith everything that happened from the time I was created. Like you, Xander, Willow, Tara and everyone, she was shocked that the memories she had of me were false. But she also realized that what Tara and I told her about my being her half-sister was also true. She promised when she got out of jail that she would take care of me. I had a reason to live, Buffy."

Buffy knew she had things to work out with Faith. She had started that process when she had persuaded Giles to get the Council to release Faith from prison. Hopefully when she and Dawn returned to Sunnydale for Xander and Anya's wedding that she would be able to work some more of it out. "I'm glad she was there for you."


	6. Chapter 5: Hell's Bells

**Chapter 5: Hell's Bells**

Faith Lehane stood at the kitchen sink in the Summers home in Sunnydale as she and Tara finished doing the dishes.

"So are you ready to see Buffy?" Tara asked.

"A little nervous," Faith said. "I know she had faith in me, otherwise she wouldn't have had Giles get the Watcher's Council to get me released from prison. But I don't know exactly where she and I stand."

"Is it because of Dawn?" Tara wondered.

"I know she's not really my sister, despite the fact she wants me to consider her as such," Faith said.

"In most ways you are as close as can come," Tara told Faith. "You were there for Dawn during a dark time."

"I know, before Red resurrected B," Faith said. "You know I got the impression there was more than possibly being Dawn's family that got you two to visit."

Tara sighed, she had not wanted to mention this to Faith or anyone for that matter. But she wondered if the time was past for this to come out in the open, after all she had received an email from Dawn saying she had finally told Buffy. "Dawn was depressed," she said after a momentary pause. "I was worried she would take her own life."

Faith was shocked at that bit of information. "Dawn was suicidal?" she asked.

"I believe so," Tara said. "Buffy was or is everything to her. She lost both her mother and big sister in the span of a few months. I believed at the time that Dawn needed something to live for. You gave her that by acknowledging what the DNA results showed that you two are related."

"I don't think we're related as sisters though."

"What do you mean?" Tara asked as a knock came at the front door.

"I'll get it," Faith said deflecting the question. There was only one person she wanted to mention this to. She turned and left the kitchen and headed through the dining room to the front door. Upon opening the door she found Buffy standing there. "B!"

"Hello, Faith," Buffy said.

"Where's those daughters of yours? Or Dawn?" Faith wondered as she looked around the front porch.

"Coming tomorrow. I wanted to talk to you first," Buffy said.

"I'll get my …"

"No, Faith," Buffy said knowing what Faith was about to say. "You can stay here as long as you want. That's not it. Dawn told me about the summer I was gone."

"Oh," Faith said.

"I just wanted to say thank you," Buffy said. "It means a lot to me that you would want to look after her."

"Thanks," Faith said. "Uhm…"

Buffy had never seen Faith nervous before and it startled her. She motioned for her sister slayer to move into the living room where they could sit down. "Take your time," she said as the mother in her came out.

"Uhm …" Faith said wondering why she was so nervous. Maybe it was because she didn't want to know the truth. She wasn't sure. "Is Dawn …" she sighed she didn't understand why this was so difficult. "Is Dawn our …" She paused as she looked at Buffy trying to see if Buffy understood what she was trying to ask. "Our daughter?"

Buffy blinked and then blinked again. "She's my …"

"Sister I know," Faith said. "But here is the thing, right. She was created from us. You and me. Isn't that how children are born, created from the stuff their parents gave them."

Buffy sighed, she had wondered the same at points over the last year or so herself, ever since she had found out that Dawn had been created from her. "I've wondered the same at times. But my memories."

"Tell you that Dawn is your sister," Faith said in understanding. "I know my memories of when I first arrived in SunnyD tell me the same. But yet. She looks like us. She has my height and hair and your eyes."

"I know," Buffy said. "I know. It's not something I ever really thought about. While for the most part I have come to terms that I am Piper, Phoebe and Paige's mother. It's still a little weird to think about, especially when I am younger than they are. To think I am one of Dawn's two mothers, when Dawn herself is almost sixteen is well."

"It's a little weird, I agree," Faith said.

"Would it help if I explained?" came a voice from the foyer. Faith and Buffy turned and saw a man in white robes standing there.

"You are an Angel of Destiny?" Buffy asked as she remembered when Patty died.

"Yes," the angel said. "Dawn as well as Piper's firstborn have a destiny greater than any you can imagine. While they do not share the same destiny. They do share one thing, they both are twice blessed. Piper's firstborn is going to be part Whitelighter part witch, blessed by both the Elders and the Charmed Ones. Dawn, as I said, is also twice blessed but by the Slayer and the Powers that Be. That is why Dawn is your sister, Buffy. Notice I said sister. While yes she is made from the two of you, she was never meant to be anything but your sister, Buffy. And Faith she was never meant to be your daughter either. You have had it harder than Buffy. The abuse you experienced at the hands of your parents, being called as a Slayer, for a brief time siding with the Mayor of Sunnydale against Buffy and finally going to prison for the Deputy Mayor and the Professor's deaths. The Powers, the Elders and we decided to give you something in return for all that your destiny has thrown at you."

"Dawn is Faith's reward, for lack of a better word, much like when you and the Elders approached me back when I was Patty?" Buffy asked.

"Yes, Buffy," the angel said. "We can't interfere in freewill. It is up to you Faith if you want to fall in love with Dawn. Regardless if you do, the both of you will need to guide her, to bring her to her destiny."

"Does that mean she's a …?" Buffy started to ask.

"A Charmed One?" the angel finished for her. "Yes and no. She is Charmed, just as you are Buffy, but she is not a Charmed One. She does not share their destiny, just as you don't."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

The next day in the Summers home Buffy stood before the mirror in her old bedroom. She was looking at the dress but her mind was on what the Angel of Destiny had said before. She and Faith had a daughter, her own sister. Should she tell Dawn that, she wondered. She was startled out of her thoughts by a knock on the bedroom door. She turned to see Willow looking her, horrified.

"It's hideous," Willow whispered as she moved next to Buffy.

Buffy sighed as she looked back at the mirror in particular at hers and Willow's reflections. She had to agree the bridesmaids dresses that Anya had picked out for them to wear were ugly.

"I'm s'posed to be the best man," Willow said. "Shouldn't I be all Marlene Dietrichy in a dashing tuxedo number?"

A laugh came from the door and they turned to see Faith standing there wearing an identical dress. "No, cuz that would be totally unfair. If I have to wear a dress instead of my normal t-shirt and jeans, you have to wear the ugly ass dress."

"We all must participate equally in the cosmic joke of bridesmaids-dom," Buffy added.

Willow gave her reflection a glum look.

"Maybe if I ask Anya I can still go with the traditional blood larva and burlap," Willow suggested. "I mean, she was a vengeance demon for like a thousand years, she'd know all the most flattering... larvae."

"Hell no," Faith said. "You are not going to get me wearing nothing but some bug."

"What was she thinking?" Willow wondered.

"Anya's way too stressed to think right now," Tara said as she stepped up beside Faith, "what with Xander's relatives and her ... demons ..."

Willow looked at Tara and smiled, even in the ugly ass dress she found Tara radiantly beautiful as always. "Ohmigod, last night. That rehearsal dinner. It was a zoo without the table manners. And I bet it got worse after we left."

To tell the truth Buffy had for the most part had zoned out of a lot of the rehearsal dinner. She had been brought back to the present when Xander's father had puked in her purse.

"I can't believe everyone is buying the story that Anya's people are circus folk," Dawn said from where she sat on the bed. "I would have thought those Cleaners you mentioned, Buffy, would have wiped everyone's memories."

"They may still," Buffy said, "after the wedding."

Just then Anya came up behind Tara and Faith. Upon seeing everyone in their bridesmaids dresses she clutched her hand to her mouth as her eyes widened. They wondered if Anya had finally come to her senses and was as horrified at the dresses as they were.

"Oh. Oh. You guys are so beautiful," Anya gushed. "This is the happiest day of my life."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Downstairs Piper, Leo, Phoebe and Paige wait. "Do you know much about these demons Anya invited?" Piper asked her husband.

"Their mostly low level, and for the most part harmless," Leo said. "The most you will get from most of them is an old fashioned fist fight."

"So none of them will be after us or mom and Aunt Dawn?" Paige asked.

"I don't think so," Leo said. "Buffy told me that Anya had made sure that the demons were to know that the wedding was neutral territory. They might not get along with you or Xander's family and could of course as I said start a fight. But otherwise they shouldn't be a threat. At least I hope so. If they do pose a threat, multiple witches, you three, Buffy, Dawn, Willow and Tara as well as Faith since she is a Slayer should be more than enough magical protection for the mortals in attendance. But I wouldn't let your guard down, just in case." He looked at Piper. "Worst case scenario you or Buffy may have to freeze the room."

"You know it makes me wonder why these Cleaners mom told us about aren't doing anything," Phoebe said. "This is exposure on a large scale and aren't they supposed to be cleaning stuff like this."

"They are supposed to yes," Leo said. "From what I understand, Anya used her connections in the Underworld, she was after all a Vengeance demon for a thousand years, to get the Cleaners to hold off till after the wedding. And then the Cleaners will modify all but ours, the demons, Buffy's, Dawn's and their friends memories to make the demons look like they were humans."

"It's a shame that they aren't upper level," Piper said. "At least then they would have a human form."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"B, can I have a word with you," Faith said.

"Sure, Faith," Buffy said as she looked at her friends and sister. "Can you guys give us a moment?"

Willow, Dawn, Tara and Anya all nodded as they left the bedroom and Faith closed the door behind them.

"While Dawn is only two years younger than me," Faith said. "I am not going to do anything, okay. I just wanted to get that off my chest." **_(A/N 1)_**

"Faith," Buffy said. "If you want to pursue the relationship the Angel of Destiny hinted at, you have my okay. We may not have gotten along very well when you first arrived. But things have changed. Your being in prison and remaining there proved that you are committed to changing things. While I agree that while Dawn is 17 and still a minor. I also know that the Elders and the Angel of Destiny would not have given her to you to fall in love with if they did not mean it. If you want to see where a relationship with my sister goes, I'm okay with it." **_(A/N 2)_**

"Really?" Faith asked shocked that Buffy felt that way.

Buffy smiled at Faith. "Yes. Faith, we've had our ups and downs but I think you deserve a second chance. And apparently so did the Elders and the Angel of Destiny."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Later at the Bison's lodge Willow wrest1ed with a veil-like length of white tulle, swathing it around a bison's head. "There we go," she said, "tuck that there and let's see, maybe one little flower here. And voila! Loveliness ensues." She climbed down from a step ladder and stood next to Dawn as she admired her artistry. "What d'ya think?"

Dawn shrugged. "It's sweet. In sort of a macabre, dressing up dead animals in funny costumes way. But sweet."

"Yeah," Willow said quite proud of her achievement while she put the step ladder aside. "Isn't it pretty here? I didn't know a Bison's Lodge could be so swelegant." She put her arm around Dawn and they walked through the main room of the lodge.

"I thought Xander and Anya couldn't afford flowers," Dawn said as she noticed an arrangement of flowers.

"Giles sent 'em," Willow said. She had told Buffy and Dawn that Giles had returned to England on Watcher's Council business. "Aren't they gorgeous?"

"Yeah," Dawn said. She glanced in the direction of where Xander was getting ready. She wondered how her sister was doing with their friend. After all she knew Buffy had been putting off talking to Xander afraid he would admonish her for leaving Sunnydale and their friends when they moved to San Francisco.

"Thinking about Buffy?" Willow asked as Dawn nodded. "She was putting off talking to him about leaving wasn't she?"

Dawn nodded. "Yeah. You knew why we moved. But Xander, he wasn't there. She was afraid that he wouldn't get it. That he might feel …"

"Betrayed?" Willow wondered. "He was at first. After all, all three of us had been friends since you two and Mrs. Summers moved to Sunnydale. But when he had calmed down, I explained why she had to move."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In one of the side room's Buffy diligently tried to wrap a too small cummerbund around Xander's waist.

"Is it too small?" he asked.

"Nah," Buffy replied.

"It fit when I picked up the tux," Xander said. "How can it not fit now?"

Buffy shrugged. "It'll fit."

"Aw man. What if it doesn't?" Xander asked. He knew he was stalling. After all it was nice having his best friend back. But he also knew he had to talk to Buffy, try and get some things straight. "What if I can't wear my cummerbund and the whole world sees the place where my pants meet my shirt? That can't happen Buffy! I must wear das cummerbund!"

"And... so... you... SHALL," Buffy said as she hooked the back of the cummerbund.

"You did it?" he asked.

Buffy smiled. "Slayer strength. Though I might have frozen you for a moment."

"You are kidding right, I mean about the freezing part," Xander said suddenly worried.

"I'm kidding," Buffy said as she moved around in front of him and began to tie his bow tie. "You look really great, Mr. About-to-get-married. You're glowing." She gasped in mock shock. "Omigod, Xander Maybe you're pregnant!"

Xander sighed, he had been dragging his feet too long, he decided to just bite the bullet as they said. "Buffy, we need to talk."

Buffy sighed as she look at the bow tie for a second before letting her hands drop. "I know."

"I don't blame you for wanting to spend time with Patty's daughters, your daughters. In the beginning I did of course, but as I calmed down, Willow tried to explain the stuff about the memories and such. I understand, it must be nice to have someone that looks up to you like that," Xander said. "It's about, Faith, was it a good idea to get Giles to free her? She after all did try to kill you, and then there was the body swap. Plus she did, even if accidentally, kill the deputy mayor and that professor dude."

"Initially I didn't trust her one hundred percent," Buffy said. "That's why I wanted her in my house with Willow and Tara. Willow is one of, if not, the most powerful progenitors I've ever seen. And Tara is a gifted witch. They can keep an eye on Faith. But over the last few weeks since she was released I have come to actually trust her. And here is why, Xander. Faith was in prison for almost two years. Think for a second if it were me in prison, and I didn't want to be held, could they hold me?"

Xander thought about it for a long moment and then shook his head. He knew the answer was no, no matter what he knew that Buffy could escape if she wanted, which meant so could Faith. "No, they couldn't."

"That says a lot for Faith," Buffy said. "She remained in their for that long knowing she could leave anytime and they couldn't stop her. It tells me that she wanted to be rehabilitated. That she wanted to pay for her crimes.

"Does that mean you two are buddy buddy?" he asked.

"There is still some bad blood between us," Buffy said. "But we now have some common ground and I believe it will help us to put that all in the past."

"Common ground?"

Buffy sighed. "This is a secret. No one but Faith and I know, you are the first one to be told. Dawn has a destiny. She was created from me and Faith but she's not our daughter. She's my sister. But here is the clencher an Angel of Destiny stopped by last night while I was talking with Faith. Dawn is her reward."

"Reward?" Xander asked confused.

"For all the bad stuff in her life," Buffy said. "The Elders, The Powers that Be, the Angel of Destiny all agreed that Faith has had it rough. From her parents abusing her, and yes she was abused. To her first watcher being killed by that vampire right in front of her, to accidentally killing the deputy mayor, to killing that professor and then trying to kill me. Yes some of that doesn't deserve a reward, namely the stuff she did at the behest of the Mayor. But the rest, she deserves something to look forward to. So the Angel of Destiny, the Elders and the Powers that Be all agreed that Dawn would be created not only to house the Key, to be my sister but also to be Faith's girlfriend or lover or whatever. If Faith and Dawn did actually fall in love that is, free will and all."

Xander looked toward the door as if he expected someone to walk through and say surprise. When no one did he looked back at Buffy. "This is big," he said.

"I know," Buffy said. "I know you may not trust Faith, but I am asking at least for Dawn's sake you try to put it behind you."

Xander smiled as he hugged Buffy. "I can't promise anything. But for you and Dawn, I'll try."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Back in the main room of the lodge Dawn stood between Piper and Leo as they greeted the guests.

"Look who agreed to be my date for tonight!" Xander's Uncle Rory said as he walked up to them. On his arm was one of the female caterers.

"I'm really supposed to be working," the caterer said. "I'm one of the caterers..."

"Hush, hush. No woman of mine has to work," Rory said. "All you have to do is sit pretty and laugh when I tell a good one. Tell her what a funny guy I am, Dawnie." He looked at Dawn expectantly.

Dawn looked at Piper and rolled her eyes. "Enjoy the wedding," she said as Piper ushered Rory and the caterer away. The next guests walk up to them and they all notice they are demons.

"Hymen's greetings!" D'Hoffryn said.

"Hy- What?!" Dawn asked as she looked at Piper and Leo.

"Hymen," Leo said, "was a Greek god of marriage. He was a lesser known god."

"You must be the Charmed Ones Whitelighter," D'Hoffryn said.

"I am," Leo replied. "And I was under the impression there were going to be no upper level demons here."

"Halfrek and I will be the only ones," D'Hoffryn replied as Halfrek walked up to them. "After all Anyanka used to be one of mine. It would be in bad form for me not to attend the wedding one of my greatest Vengeance demons."

"Of course," Piper said. "Be it known that I will be keeping my eye on you."

"I would not expect anything less from a Charmed One," D'Hoffryn said. "I brought a gift. I suppose there's a table..."

Dawn took the gift from D'Hoffryn. "I can put this on the table—"

"Careful, it's..." D'Hoffryn said.

"Dangerous?" Piper asked.

D'Hoffryn shook his head. "Squirmy," he said as he and Halfrek walked off.

Piper raised her hands freezing the box. "That should hold long enough to find a place that's safe to stash it," she said as she took the box from Dawn and walked off.

Dawn frowned as she spotted Spike with some girl on his arm. "Spike," she said as he walked up to her and Leo.

"Like you to meet my date," Spike said.

Leo noticed Dawn's reaction to Spike. "What is it?" he asked.

"Spike's a vampire," Dawn explained. "One with this huge crush on Buffy. On top of that Buffy told me something in confidence."

"Bad?" Leo asked

Dawn sighed. "Yeah," she said with a nod. "Don't ask me to repeat it though, Leo. I promised Buffy I would repeat this to no one, let alone you, Piper, Phoebe or Paige."

Over the course of the weeks since Buffy had received Patty's memories and both Buffy and Dawn had received their powers, they had grown closer. A lot closer than they were the year before when Buffy had thought of Dawn as mainly her brat sister that needed protecting from Glory. During one of their private times together, Buffy had told Dawn that Spike and her had been sleeping together before Willow's memory spell that had unlocked Patty's memories and their powers permanently.

Dawn looked back at Spike. "You are not welcome here. If you want to push the matter, I can get Leo's wife, Piper, to use her power on you and see if you can be decapitated by exploding your neck only."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Paige shook her head as she watched Tony Harris, Xander's father, at the bar. Xander had asked Buffy earlier that day to keep his father away from the bar, and if that was not possible from getting too drunk. Given Paige's own history with alcohol, Buffy had asked her to keep an eye on Mr. Harris.

"'Til death do us part. That's what makes me laugh," Tony said as he downed his drink and slammed it back on the bar. "Hit me again barkeep."

"I'm really not supposed to start serving until after the ceremony," the bartender said nervously.

"I paid for this wedding," Tony said. "I paid for that bourbon there and I paid for this glass here. And I paid for you, caterer-waiter." He threw the glass forcefully to the floor shattering it.

"Um, right away, Sir," the bartender said just as Paige walked up next to Tony.

"Don't worry about it," Paige said before turning to Tony. "You must be so happy for Xander on his special, once-in-a-lifetime day, Mr. Harris."

Tony focused on Paige and grinned in appreciation at what he saw. "Nice chassis. What's under the hood?"

Paige closed her eyes briefly and let out a sigh. 'Did he actually try to hit on me?' she wondered. "I could really go for a strong cup of coffee. Hey, let's get you one too. Better yet let me make you one of my world renowned hangover cures."

"How about we slip into the back room and I show you my—" Tony said ignoring the fact Paige suggested trying to get him sober.

"Finish that sentence and I guarantee you won't have anything to show," Paige said quickly as she thought about actually orbing his private parts.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Xander stood in the main room in the midst of a chaotic pack of well-wishing relatives.

"Alexander, do you realize that the usher sat us in the third row?" Jessica Harris, Xander's mother, said.

Xander sighed. "Mom, I'm sure it was a mistake—"

"Excuse me?" said an old man.

"Say Neph," Rory, Xander's uncle said, "have you seen the photographer? I've got a ... proposition for him—"

"I really need a word with you—" said the old man trying to get Xander's attention.

"Now Anya decided not to have us in the processional and that's fine, but the third row—" Jessica said.

"Please. You have to listen to me!" the old man said as he pulled Xander aside, almost roughly.

"Hey..." Xander said quite annoyed at the old man.

The old man looked Xander square in the eye, his gaze intense bordering on frantic. "Don't get married today. It's a huge mistake—"

"Yeah right, well thanks for the advice, Uncle ... help me here," Xander said.

"Uncle - ? No... You don't recognize me, do you?" the old man said as he sighed. "But why would you? Time hasn't been kind to us, has it?"

"I'm sorry. I don't—" Xander said apologetically.

"It sounds crazy, I know, but you have to believe me—" the old man said. He decided to try a desperate tactic. "I'm Xander Harris. I'm you."

"What?" Xander asked he let the old man lead him into a dusty and small room. He was sure it was a trophy room. The old man extended a glass orb towards him as the light inside it pulsed. "What is it?"

"It's magic, very powerful. Look at it. You'll see what I've seen. Feel what I felt," the old man said.

Xander, curious despite himself, looked as the orb began to emit a bright beam of light which shone onto Xander's forehead.

Xander suddenly saw himself in not one, but three different time periods. Each one worse the one before it. The first in 2025 where he found out Buffy had died and that he had almost been paralyzed by the demon that had killed her. He learned that Buffy's death was is also the start of the fights with Anya.

The next vision was set in ten years later in 2035 he sat in a restaurant with Anya their son, Josh and adopted demon daughter, Sarah. It was yet another fight this time not just with Anya but with the children as well.

The last vision was set even ten years farther in 2045 and was the final fight between Anya and Xander. In this fight Xander grabbed a frying pan and swung it at Anya. And that was where the vision ended leaving Xander wondering what if he had killed Anya in that final vision.

Xander looked at the old man, his future self. The old man touched his shoulder and he pulled away obviously traumatized.

"I'm sorry," the old man said, "I didn't want to show you—"

"What happened?" Xander asked frantically. "What was that?"

"A glimpse of your future," the old man said. "Harnessed by magic. I'm so sorry—"

"Is she okay?" Xander asked. "Is she okay? What did I do—"

"Listen. I don't have long here," the old man explained. "The spell that brought me back, it won't last. You can change things. It doesn't have to go like this. But you can't marry Anya."

"But—" Xander objected.

"You'll hurt her less today then you will later. Believe me," the old man said. "Sometimes, two people—all they bring each other is pain."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Moments later Xander stood by the back door of the lodge, pacing.

"I'll say this for the Y chromosome: looks good in a tux," Willow said as she walked up to Xander and began to adjust his tie.

Xander forced himself to smile, covering his turmoil over his visions of the future. "Your double X's aren't doing so bad there, either."

Willow took looked at Xander, a bit wistfully. "You're getting married. My little Xander."

Xander managed a brief laugh. "All growed up."

"It's a good thing I realized I was gay," Willow said. "'Cause otherwise, hey, you, me and formal wear..."

Xander hugged Willow close and she squeezed him tightly.

"You know how much I love you?" she asked.

"Mmm... 'bout half as much as I love you?" Xander suggested as Willow stepped away.

"Ready for the long walk?" Willow wondered as a smile graced her lips.

"Um... can you give me a sec?" he asked. "I want to go over my vows."

Willow nodded as she kissed him on the cheek. "Take your time. Not like they can start the wedding without you." She turned and walked away.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In another room in the lodge Tara and Faith watched as Anya recited her wedding vows. "'I promise to cherish you...' Eew, no! "Cherish?" 'I promise to have sex with you whenever...I want, and pledge to be your friend and your wife and your confidant and your sex poodle and-'"

"Sex poodle?" Faith asked with a smirk. "You go girl."

"Uh, I'm not sure she should say 'sex poodle' in her vows," Tara said as looked toward Faith.

"Why not?" Faith asked with a laugh. "It would make for one heck of a wedding that is for sure."

Just then they heard the string quartet playing in the main room of the lodge.

"The music! They're playing the music! This is it..." Anya said as her face lit up as the beautiful reality of the situation hit her.

Just then there was a knock at the door before it opened and Buffy peeked her head in. "Are you ready, Ahn?" she asked.

Before Anya could answer, Buffy was yanked back and the door closed.

Out in the hall Buffy whirled to find Phoebe and Willow, who had closed the door. Her face is distressed, her voice an urgent hiss.

"He's gone," Willow said her voice an urgent hiss. "Xander's disappeared."

"What! Xander's gone? What do we do?" Buffy wondered.

"Leo is going to orb Willow and Paige is going to orb me as we look for him," Phoebe said. "We are going to find him. And, Mom, you're going to stall."

Back in the room Anya, Faith and Tara look at each other. And then at the just slammed door. And then the door opened again, and again Buffy poked her head in. "Sorry about that. Uh, it looks like there's going to be a little delay," Buffy said.

"Why?" Faith wondered.

"What's wrong?" Anya added.

"Nothing, nothing. Just, um, the, uh, minister! He's got to go perform an emergency...C-section and, uh—" Buffy said trying think of something to stall Anya.

"A C-section?" Faith said with a shake of her head.

"Oh yes, he's a doctor as well as, "Buffy said as she scrambled to come up with a good lie, "a minister. He's like, half-minister, half-doctor. A mini-tor. Not, of course, to be confused with a minotaur! Because he's all man, this minister-doctor man, no bull parts, whatsoever."

"Uh-huh," Anya said after a moment's hesitation.

"So anyway, it oughta just be a couple of minutes," Buffy said.

"Okay," Anya said as Buffy closed the door. She looked to Tara and Faith. "Okay, this is the last time."

"Excuse me for a moment, Anya," Faith said as she quickly exited the room to find Buffy still in the hall. "What's up?"

"Xander's missing," Buffy said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

On the streets of Sunnydale Xander walked alone, thinking just as Phoebe and Paige orbed in. He looked at them, startled by their sudden appearance.

"Xander," Phoebe said with a sigh. "Finally we found you. What happened?"

Xander let out a sigh and told them what had happened.

Phoebe frowned, she knew the consequences of meddling in time. Why would Xander send himself back in time to get his past self to stop the wedding. "That makes no sense, that is highly personal gain. And how did your future self, if he really was your future self, cast such a spell to send himself back in time when he had no powers?"

"Maybe he got Willow or Tara to do it for him?" Xander suggested with a shrug.

"I don't think so," Phoebe said. "Both Willow and Tara know about personal gain, I would hope neither of them would do such a thing."

"Even though Willow has in the past?" Paige reminded Phoebe. "Remember she did resurrect mom."

"Point taken," Phoebe said with a sigh. She then had an idea. It would be a long shot but just maybe it might work. "Xander, give me your hand. Maybe I can see what he showed you. And I can then tell if what you saw was real."

Xander thought about it for a moment. He didn't think it could hurt anything. It might even give him some answers. He reached out and Phoebe took his hands in her own. He watched as Phoebe gasped.

"What do you see?" Paige wondered.

"A demon," Phoebe said. "One that has a grudge against Anya. She cursed him when she was still a vengenance demon like eighty years ago or so." She looked at Xander. "He did to break you and Anya up as way of punishing Anya for what she did. What he showed you was a lie."

Xander sighed. "I figured that might be the case. It doesn't change things though. What he showed me could wind up being real, and I don't think I could do that to Anya, I love her too much."

An idea occurred to Paige and she leaned over and whispered in Phoebe's ear.

"What if we had a way to show you that your future might not turn out that way?" Phoebe asked.

"How?" Xander wondered.

"Come with us," Paige said. "We have to talk to mom."

Xander sighed as he took their hands and they orbed out.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Xander, Paige and Phoebe orbed into the groom's room in the lodge and Phoebe rushed out the door. She found Buffy in the main hall trying to stall. "Uh Buffy," she said. "Can I see you for a minute."

"Sure, Phoebe," Buffy said as she followed Phoebe down the hall and back into the groom's room. "Xander!" She quickly hugged him before looking at her daughters.

"Mom," Phoebe said. "I got a premonition. First off there is a demon in the guise of an old man out there."

"Okay," Buffy said. "Paige go tell Faith, Willow, Tara, Dawn, Piper and Leo, please."

Paige nodded as she left the room.

"The next thing is the demon showed Xander some phony visions of his future. Paige had an idea, if evil can influence Xander why can't good do the same."

"What did Paige have in mind exactly," Buffy wondered.

"The Angel of Destiny," Phoebe said. "The one that you said visited you and Faith last night."

Buffy nodded as she closed her eyes as she mentally recited the summoning spell. "Power of witch, I summon thee, and call to me, the Angel of Destiny."

A ball of light comes down from the heavens and as it swirls around it manifests into a woman in robes. "Why have I been summoned?"

"I need a favor," Buffy said. "Evil conspired to break up Xander and Anya by showing Xander visions of a possible future. I would like to give him visions from the opposing side so he can make an informed decision on his future."

The angel sighed as she looked at Buffy. "You know that we can't …"

"I don't care," Buffy said. "You, the Powers and the Elders owe me. I have sacrificed as much in this lifetime as I did as Patty. Shoot I even died, not once, but twice for the greater good in this lifetime alone."

"Very well," the angel said as she turned to look at Xander. "Take my hands. What you will see is a possible future. It may or may not be the future you end up in. Only your decisions throughout your life will determine that."

Xander nodded as he took the angel's hands. "I understand."

The angel closed her eyes and Xander did as well.

Xander suddenly saw himself in not one, but three different time periods again. The first in 2005 where he found out that Anya was pregnant and Dawn and Faith had named him godfather of their adopted child.

The next vision was set in ten years later in 2020 he sat in a restaurant with Anya, their son, Josh and adopted demon daughter, Sarah celebrating Sarah's eighth birthday.

The last vision was set even ten years farther in 2030 and was showed Anya and Xander at the birth of Buffy's granddaughter and still very much in love.

Xander blinked at he looked around for a moment before he looked at the angel. "That was just one possible future?" he asked.

"Yes," the angel said. "The choice now is yours. To choose which path you will tread. I cannot do anything else." She became a ball of light and flew back to the heavens.

"I need a few moments to think," he said.

And think he did, and while he thought Faith, Willow, Tara, Piper, Paige, Phoebe and Buffy found the old man that had shown Xander the fake visions and vanquished him.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"Do you, Alexander Harris, take Anya Jenkins to be your lawfully wedded wife?" the minister asked 30 minutes later.

Xander had taken ten minutes to think things over. And he decided that if the Angel's vision were even just one possible future, wasn't it worth the risk to see what life could be like with Anya. "I do," he said.

"And do you Anya Jenkins, take Alexander Harris to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," Anya said.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Xander leaned in and kissed Anya passionately.

* * *

 **Author's Note 1 :** Faith's age is listed on Buffy Wikia as being a month older than Buffy. I have no idea where they got that date of birth. It could simply been picked arbitrarily as Eliza Dushku's birthday is the same month and year as listed for Faith's (Dec. 1980). But her age was never mentioned in the show itself. So I am taking some liberties here that actually ties into the change mentioned for Dawn (A/N 2) so as to pair the two of them together and remove as much as the eww factor as possible.

 **Author's Note 2 :** Dawn was mentioned to be 14 in season 5 and 15 in season 6. To close the gap between her and Faith and remove some of the eww factor I set her age at 17 at this point in the story. By the end of the season 6 (BTVS)/season 4 (Charmed) she will be 18 and legal. That also means she was 16 when she was created instead of 14 as in canon.


	7. Chapter 6: Black as Cole

**Chapter 6: Black as Cole**

Buffy and Piper paced back and forth waiting on word from Phoebe and Cole about a demon they had gone out to vanquish. Leo had told them about a demon that was killing witches with an athame. Buffy had wondered briefly if it could have been Cole. After all Angel had lost his soul and gone evil. The same could been held true for Cole. She quickly dismissed the idea though as she remembered how helpful Cole had been since she had met him.

"A demon who likes to kill witches," Paige said as she flipped through the book. "Well, that narrows it down to about every page in the book."

"We have one clue. We know he likes to use an athame." Piper said.

"How does that help?" Paige asked.

"Well, it means he has hands. Keep flipping." Piper said.

"So I hear you and Leo are thinking about having a baby." Paige said.

"Where did you hear that from?" Piper asked looking directly at Buffy who shook her head.

Paige shrugged. "Not from Mom, from Phoebe," she said as she noticed her eldest sister roll her eyes. "Oh, did I just break some sort of sister confidentiality clause?"

"No, you didn't, and no we aren't." Piper said.

"Really? Don't you want to?" Buffy asked. "I would love to be a grandmother someday."

Piper sighed. "I'm sorry, Mom, but you're not going to be a grandmother, all right? At least not any time soon, it's too risky. It would be in constant danger around us."

"What does Leo think?" Paige wondered.

"Leo thinks that there's enough magic around here we'd be able to protect it." Piper said.

"Maybe he's right," Buffy said.

Piper shook her head, "Maybe he's not." She looked at Paige. "Keep flipping."

"I'm flipping." Paige said as she flipped a couple of pages. "You know, it's not like having a baby isn't hard enough even without demons attacking. But for what it's worth, there are ways of seeing what it's like before you actually have one."

"Mm-hmm, great. Well, the next time you pass a baby rental, pick one up for Leo." Piper said.

"Maybe I will." Paige said as Leo orbed in frightening Piper.

"So did you find anything out?" Leo asked.

Buffy nodded. "We scryed for the location of the demon using the slime from the last victim, and Phoebe and Cole are checking it out."

"Alright, well, I hope that it pans out because with two dead witches they're pretty concerned up there." Leo said.

"Okay, well, we are pretty concerned down here too." Piper said.

"Hey, I think I found something. 'Upper level demon who likes to kill witches using an athame, sometimes with energy balls…' His name, Belthazor." Paige said.

Piper and Leo look at each other and back at Paige.

"I don't think so." Leo said.

"Why not?" Buffy asked.

"Well, because that's, uh, Cole, in his demonic form." Leo said.

"Mom, you knew he was half demon." Piper said.

Buffy nodded. "Yeah but I didn't know the name of his demonic form."

Just at that moment the phone rang and Piper answered it. "Hello? … Okay, Mom will scry for him again," she said as she looked at Buffy. "Phoebe and Cole are there, but can't find him."

Buffy nodded as she moved over to the table and picked up the crystal and scryed like she did the first time. The crystal immediately went to the same location, the same place Phoebe and Cole were at. "Battery and Clay. He's still there," she said.

"Mom said he's still there." Piper said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Later Phoebe and Cole walked in the front door of the Manor covered in slime.

"Don't you think we should talk about this?" Cole asked.

"Talk about what?" Phoebe said as Buffy and Piper came down the stairs.

"Wow, looks like you two got a juicy one." Piper said.

Phoebe nodded, "Yeah, but unfortunately not the one that kills witches."

"How do you know?" Buffy asked.

"Because upper level demons have a human form, and they bleed, red, not green." Cole said. "No offense Buffy, but with having Patty's memories I thought you would have known that."

"I remember most of my life but there is still some things missing." Buffy said. "Like what did I get Prue, Piper and Phoebe for Christmas the year before I died?"

"Where are you going?" Cole asked as Phoebe headed up the stairs.

"I'm going up to take a shower first, and then I'm going to check the Book of Shadows," Phoebe told him. "I wanna I.D. this demon that I'm wearing, try to find some answers."

"Speaking of unanswered questions…" Cole said.

Phoebe sighed. "There is a demon on the loose, Cole, we don't have time for this."

"Shouldn't we make time for it?" Cole asked.

"No, not now we shouldn't."

"What are you guys talking about?" Piper wondered.

"I'm wondering the same thing." Buffy said.

"Nothing," Phoebe said rather quickly as Cole echoed, "Nothing."

"Please, Cole, let's just focus on vanquishing the demon." Phoebe said.

"Fine. I'll, uh, go see what I can find out," Cole said before he shimmered out.

"Honey, did you two have a fight?" Buffy asked.

"No, Mom, he just… never mind." Phoebe said as she walked up the stairs.

"I wonder what that was all about," Piper said as Buffy shrugged her shoulders. It was something they both were curious about.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

After Phoebe had taken her shower and changed into fresh clothes, she had headed straight up to the attic and to the Book of Shadows. She had quickly found the demon that Cole had vanquished and was reading the page as Piper and Buffy joined her.

"Okay, so the demon that Cole and I nailed is a Scavenger demon. Apparently he feeds on the remains of other demons victims. Nice, huh?" Phoebe said.

"Well, that explains why Mom scryed for him accidentally," Piper said as Phoebe flipped through the book. "Um, are you gonna tell us what happened out there?"

Phoebe sighed as she tried to deflect the question she knew her sister was asking. "There's not much to tell. The demon jumped in behind us…"

"That's not what Piper meant," Buffy said. "Honey, what happened between you and Cole?"

"Oh, yeah, that," Phoebe said as she realized that neither her sister or her mother would let the subject drop without telling them what had happened. "Um…I'm not exactly sure. He asked me to marry him."

"What? He-he did what? He did?" Piper said shocked by this turn of events.

"More or less."

"Well, what did you say?" Buffy asked.

Phoebe sighed, "I didn't know what to say. I was too surprised. I mean, with all my power of premonition and I never saw that one coming."

"Uh, wow, I-I don't think a witch is allowed to marry a demon. Honey, we can't have a demon in the family." Piper said.

"Piper, who cares if she is allowed by the Elders or not." Buffy said. "If she loves Cole she will find a way just like you did."

"Mom we can't kid ourselves," Piper said as she looked toward her mother. "If she decides to go through with this, it's gonna be a source of huge concern. Especially for them. While we know that Cole is good I can understand they having problems."

"If they had problems with Cole," Buffy said. "They would have stepped in and sent another witch after him. Even if it meant angering you three, especially Phoebe."

"Right now that is the least of my concerns." Phoebe said as she moved to the sofa and sat down. She watched both her sister and mother sit down beside her. "I love Cole, you both know I do, but demon stuff aside, I never thought of myself as the marrying type. You know, it's not something I fantasized about. Ever."

"So then, what are you gonna tell him? Piper asked.

Phoebe shrugged, she wasn't sure what she was going to tell Cole. "I don't know."

"Well, you're gonna have to tell him something because a question like that doesn't go away by itself." Buffy said.

"Are you sure?" Phoebe hoped the answer was no, that it would go away on its own.

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. I loved your father, but do you know how long it took me to decide if I wanted to marry him? Three days. And it weighed on me that entire time till I told him yes."

"Hey," Cole said as he shimmered in.

Phoebe smiled as she looked up at Cole. "Hey."

"Piper and I'll be downstairs." Buffy said as she pulled Piper out of the room.

"I couldn't find out who the demon was but at least I ruled out any usual suspects." Cole said.

"Any idea of who it could be?" Phoebe wondered.

"No, just another upper level demon trying to build a reputation by killing witches to move up the ladder. Anyway, I guess I'll keep checking." he said and he tried to leave.

"No, Cole, wait. We should talk," Phoebe said as she stood up and moved slightly toward him.

"Alright," Cole said.

"It's just hard." Phoebe said.

"It's just me."

"Okay, let me ask you a question," Phoebe said as she moved closer to Cole. "When you, you know, proposed … did you mean to? Or did it just come out in the heat of the moment?"

"Well, does that matter?" Cole wondered.

"Well, yeah, it matters to me."

Cole thought about it for a moment and then nodded. "It just came out in the heat of the moment."

"Oh." Phoebe said a tad bit disappointed.

Cole smiled. "But that doesn't mean that once I said it I wasn't serious because I-I-I was, I still am."

"Cole…" Phoebe said.

"Phoebe, listen to me. I know it was crazy to ask, and I know it doesn't make any sense because of who we are but that shouldn't matter. If it did we never would have fallen in love in the first place. I love you, Phoebe, and I don't know where we go from here but, I do know where ever it is, I want it to be with you." Cole said as they heard a baby cry from downstairs.

"Is that a baby crying?" Phoebe asked.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Downstairs Paige held onto a mechanical baby as a crying noise came from it. "You told me to rent one, so I did," she told Piper.

"Well, I didn't think that you could. Where did you get it?" Piper said.

"The clinic." Paige said.

"Great. Take it back." Piper said as Phoebe and Cole came down the stairs.

"What's going on?" Phoebe asked.

"Your baby sister brought home a realistic sounding robot kid," Buffy said.

"Piper and Leo wanted to try out having a baby before actually having one." Paige added. "So I got them a mechanical baby. They use them in parenting classes all the time."

"Yeah and they don't need one," Buffy said. "If they have any questions about raising a child in a magical household they can ask me. I did it for Prue, Piper and Phoebe till I died."

"Wow, it sounds so real." Phoebe said as the mechanical baby let out a wail.

"And so annoying. Look, Paige, I appreciate the thought, but we are on a demon hunt and the last thing I want to do is protect a fake baby." Piper said.

"Oh, really?" Paige said as she threw it up in the air as Piper froze it. "See? Your instincts were to save it."

"My instincts were to shut it up." Piper said.

Buffy shook her head, "Paige is right your instincts were to protect it, even if it wasn't a real baby."

Piper glared at Buffy. "Not now, Mom."

"The doll has a sensor. It'll stop crying if you just hold it," Paige said.

Piper shook her head. "But I don't want to."

"Come on, just try it. If it doesn't work I will take it back, I promise." Paige said.

Piper sighed as she unfroze the baby and caught it.

Buffy put her arms around Piper. "Okay, now you just rock it gently," she said as she helped Piper rock the baby.

"Mom? I know how to hold a baby that is not the issue, thank you." Piper said as Buffy let go of her.

"Just give it a shot," Paige said just as Leo orbed in. "What have you got to lose?"

"Another witch has been killed," Leo said.

"Oh, no," Phoebe said.

"Yeah, the police found her body at the Canon Theatre," Leo explained.

"Well, we should go there and see what we can find out." Piper said.

"We've gotta call Morris on the way. Make sure he can get us in," Phoebe said before looking at Cole. "And no you cannot come. Someone might recognize you from when you posed as a DA."

"I don't get to go anywhere anymore." Cole said with a sigh.

"You were a demon and a lawyer?" Paige said with a chuckle. "Insert joke here."

"Paige." Buffy said not that she didn't agree. It was after all funny to think about especially when the rest of the world sometimes tended to think of lawyers as being evil.

"Where'd you get it?" Leo asked motioning towards the mechanical baby.

"It's Paige's," Piper said.

Paige shook her head, "No, it's yours. You need to figure it out," She said as she walked out of the room.

Piper smiled. "Yeah, daddy," she said as she handed him the mechanical baby. "Figure it out. Excuse me." She and Phoebe turned and followed Paige.

Leo looked at it as it continued to cry. He looked over at Cole.

"Don't look at me." Cole said as he too left the room.

Leo looked to Buffy who sighed. She moved over to Leo and held out her hand out as Leo hands her the mechanical baby. "Like this, Leo," she said as she gently rocked the baby. The sensor in the baby detected the motion and it quieted down.

Leo nodded as Buffy handed him back the mechanical baby. "You look so natural, Buffy."

Buffy smiled, "Remember, as Patty, I gave birth four times. I remember most of that life now."

"Mom!" Piper called out. "Are you coming?"

"Be right there." Buffy said. "We can make this work despite what Piper thinks. I raised Prue, Piper and Phoebe till my death."

"I'm sure your right, Buffy," Leo said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Later in an alley, Buffy followed Piper, Phoebe and Darryl as they entered the crime scene of the dead witch.

"Look, I can't guarantee much this time. Just promise me you'll stay on the French." Darryl said.

"We promise." Phoebe said.

"So what do we know?" Buffy asked.

Darryl looked to Buffy, "Who is she?" he wondered. Was she another witch like the Halliwells or something else?

Piper, Phoebe and Paige looked at each other as if wondering how to answer. "She's our mother." Piper finally said.

"Mother?" Darryl asked confused. He remember when he attended Piper's wedding and met Patty Halliwell. This woman looked nothing like her.

"I'm Patty Halliwell, reincarnated." Buffy said noting Darryl's confusion. "We'll explain all this later. Okay?"

Darryl nodded, "Man called 911 from that pay phone, reported he found a body."

Buffy noticed a black scorch mark on a nearby wall. "Looks like she wasn't the only victim. Scorch mark," she said.

"Definitely demonic," Piper said getting a closer look at the scorch mark. "Looks like one of Cole's, actually."

"Don't you mean Belthazor?" Paige wondered.

"Oh, it's too bad Cole can't check it out," Phoebe said ignoring Paige's remark. "He'd probably be able to tell us who did it. Is anyone from the DA office here?"

Darryl pointed toward a man who was talking with a woman. "Yeah, that guy over there's an ADA. He's interviewing one of the victim's friends," he said as he pulled a necklace out of his pocket. "They also found this on the victim."

"Triple crescent." Buffy said recognizing the wiccan symbol.

Darryl nodded, "Yeah, does this mean something to you?"

Buffy nodded, "It's an ancient wiccan symbol, a cousin to the triquetra."

Piper looked to Buffy, "Could be the mark of a coven."

Buffy nodded, "Very possible."

"A coven someone's trying to wipe out. We have to figure out who else is in it." Phoebe said.

"Maybe the victim's friend." Piper suggested.

"Only one way to find out." Phoebe said.

"Phoebe, fringe, okay?" Darryl said.

Phoebe nodded in agreement, "Fringe."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"And she hadn't complained about any disgruntled friends, co-workers, ex-boyfriends?" Sikes, the ADA, asked.

Susan, the victim's friend, shook her head, "No. Carrie was a beautiful person, everyone loved her."

Sikes took a business card out of his pocket and handed it to her. "If you think of anything else at all, please, don't hesitate to call."

Susan nodded and watched as he walked over to a couple police officers. She turned to walk towards her car and bumped right into Phoebe.

"I like your necklace." Phoebe said as she looked at the triple crescent necklace that hung from Susan's neck.

"Do I know you?" Susan asked.

Phoebe shook her head. "No, but you might know of me," she explained. She leaned in and whispered into Susan's ear. "The Charmed Ones." As she took a step back she looked back at the necklace again and then met Susan's eyes. "You and Carrie were in the same coven?"

"Yes."

"And your mark is the triple crescent." Phoebe said as she touched the necklace she received a premonition of a Belthazor look-a-like, stabbing Susan.

"What is it?" Susan asked noticing Phoebe's hesitation. "Are you alright?"

"What happened?" Buffy asked as she, Piper and Paige ran up beside her. "What did you see?"

"The demon. He's after her." Phoebe said.

"Where?" Piper wondered.

"Uh ... By the steps in some park. I think it was like an old amphitheater or something." Phoebe said.

"I know that," Susan said as she recognized the description of her route back and forth to work. "That's in Stanley Arboreta. I walk past it every day on the way to work."

"What did the demon look like?" Paige wondered.

"Like Belthazor. Not exactly like him, just similar." Phoebe said as Sikes walked over to them.

"What the hell is going on here?" he asked. "This is a murder investigation. Who are these people?"

"I'll get rid of them," Darryl said. "Come on, ladies, move along. First time I ask nicely."

"We're going, mister." Piper said as herded them toward the police line.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

The next morning Buffy, Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Susan walked through Stanley Arboreta.

"I don't understand," Susan was saying. "If you know the demon is meant to attack here, shouldn't we go someplace else?"

"Not if we want to get rid of him for good," Buffy said.

"Power of three spell?" Paige wondered.

Piper shook her head. "No, the only way to vanquish an upper level demon is with the potion of his own flesh."

"Sounds like you've done this before." Paige said.

"Once. On my fiancé." Phoebe said as Buffy said, "A few times."

"Your fiancé?" Paige asked Phoebe.

Phoebe nodded as she thought about how Cole being her fiancé sounded to her ears. "Yeah, I just wanted to hear how it sounded."

"And?" Piper and Buffy asked.

"Kinda weird," Phoebe said.

"Yeah," Piper agreed.

"Wait, wait, wait, back up," Paige said. "Did you say you once tried to vanquish Cole?"

Phoebe shook her head. "No, Belthazor, there's a difference."

"Is there?" Paige asked as they stopped walking.

"Okay, let's review," Phoebe said ignoring Paige's question. "I play decoy, demon attacks. Piper or Mom freezes, Paige, you slice and dice until we get the demon sushi. And then we get out of there. Everybody ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Paige said as she takes a knife out of her purse.

"Okay, I'm gonna need your coat and your hat." Phoebe said to Susan as Susan took them off and handed them to Phoebe. "Oh, and your necklace."

Susan nodded as she unclasped the necklace and handed it to Phoebe as well.

"Okay, we've gotta get Susan some place safe." Buffy said as Phoebe put on Susan's coat.

"Leo!" Piper called out as Leo orbed in. "Hi, honey, could you orb Susan out of here."

"Sure. Any place in mind?" Leo wondered.

"Hmm, I don't think home is a good idea." Phoebe said as she puts on Susan's hat.

"Actually, you should take her to my old loft; I don't think it's rented yet." Paige said.

"Or fixed from what your past life did to it." Buffy said.

"That too." Paige said.

"Leo, take her to Sunnydale," Buffy said. "With Faith, Willow and Tara, you should be able to protect Susan."

"Good idea, mom," Piper agreed.

"Alright, take my hand." Leo said to Susan as she took his hand.

"Where's the baby?" Paige wondered.

Leo turned around to show them that the mechanical baby was strapped to his back in a baby carrier. "See? We can make this work."

"Go away and you drop Robo-kid off at the manor. Please, thank you," Piper said as Leo orbed out with Susan. "Okay, we gotta do this fast which means Mom you probably should be the one to freeze. Your power will last longer than mine." Buffy nodded. "Ready?" Paige nodded. "Let's go."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Moments later Phoebe walked down the path alone as Piper, Paige and Buffy watched from the bushes.

"Hello, witch."

Phoebe realized the demon was behind her as she spun around. "Goodbye, Demon."

The demon ran at her, athame in hand. Before he could use it she flipped him over just as Buffy, Piper and Paige come out of the bushes. At that same moment a woman ran out of the bushes farther down the path and threw a dagger at the demon who promptly shimmered out and missing the dagger which hit a tree instead.

"I had him," the woman said.

"Who the hell are you?" Piper wondered.

"Good question," Buffy said in agreement.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Later back at the Manor they stood in the kitchen with Emma, the woman from the park, who was holding the dagger. "He used this to kill my fiancé," she said. "It's a ceremonial knife. The demon left it behind after the struggle. I've been hunting for the last year and a half. It's all I care about."

"May I?" Cole asked as Emma looked at him and then at Buffy, Piper and Phoebe. They nodded and she handed the dagger to Cole.

"Look familiar?" Phoebe asked.

"He looked familiar to me." Paige said remembering that the demon looked similarly to the drawing of Belthazor in the Book of Shadows.

"I meant the athame." Phoebe said instantly getting what Paige was getting at.

"It's one used by the brotherhood," Cole said.

"Emma, do you know why the demon wanted to kill your fiancé?" Buffy said.

"Because Andrew was a witch," Emma said.

"Are you a witch too?" Piper asked.

Emma shook her head, "No. But after Andrew died, I studied his books and devoted myself to the craft."

"To continue his work?" Phoebe asked.

Emma shook her head, "To track down his killer."

"It's possible she's a progenitor, like Willow." Buffy said as Piper, Paige and Phoebe nodded in understanding.

"Progenitor?" Emma asked.

"Beginnings of a new magical line." Buffy said. "Only someone with magical blood could do what you have been doing. So you've been tracking that means …"

"I know his MO," Emma said, "yes. I know when he kills a witch; he goes after the entire coven."

"You've taught yourself well. But still, if we hadn't come along we would have lost you to him." Buffy said.

"Vengeance empowers me." Emma said with just a bit of anger.

"But it won't save you," Cole said. "Your desire for revenge is keeping you from the truth. You want the demon vanquished, my advice is to stand back and let the Charmed Ones and the Slayer handle it."

"This is my fight." Emma objected.

"Then you shall lose it," Cole said.

"Cole's right," Phoebe agreed. "You should trust us. Trust that we want the same thing you do."

Emma sighed. "It's just, his face has haunted me ever since Andrew died," she said as she thought back to when Andrew had died. "It's the face of pure evil. I can't let him get away."

"Why don't you scry for him again while we prepare the vanquishing potion? Once we get a piece of his flesh, he's dust." Buffy said.

"We'll get him. I swear we'll get him." Phoebe said as the mechanical baby cries from the other room.

"Ignore that." Piper said.

Buffy glared at Piper as Paige hit Piper lightly on the arm.

"Piper!" Buffy and Paige said.

"Alright. Excuse me," Piper said as she left the room.

"She has a baby?" Emma asked.

"Actually, she's not sure yet." Paige said.

"Hm." Emma said.

"Paige got Piper a mechanical baby to show her that we can defend and raise a real baby in a magical household." Buffy said. "That way Piper will be prepared should she ever want a child of her own."

"I see," Emma said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In Sunnydale Susan sat in the living room of the Summers home as Leo, Faith, Willow and Tara talked over what was happening in San Franscisco.

"How much longer do you think I'll have to stay here?" Susan interrupted.

"Well, I would have to talk to your Whitelighter but my instincts tell me that everyone in your coven should break the routine until the threat is over," Leo said.

"I have to agree," Willow said just as Susan's cell phone rang. "The safety of your coven and yourself is our number one priority."

"Excuse me," Susan said as she reached for it.

Faith quickly took the phone out of Susan's hand. "The demon we're after can impersonate human beings. Let me?" Susan let out a sigh as she nodded in understanding."

"Hello?" Faith said as she spoke into the phone.

"Ms. Coleman, this is the assistant district attorney Sikes," came a voice from the phone.

"Who is it?" Leo and Tara asked at the same time.

Faith put her hand over the mouthpiece as she looked at everyone. "ADA," she said before pulling her hand away and talking into the phone. "Yes." .

"I'm calling because I've received new evidence and I'd like to talk to you about it if that's alright."

"Sure," Faith said. "I could come in tomorrow."

"If you don't mind, I would like you to come over to the office, now."

Faith frowned and looked at Leo, Willow and Tara as she put her hand over the mouthpiece of the phone again. "He wants to meet her now."

"While he may or may not be the demon, if he is not and if this is an ongoing investigation," Willow said. "It might look suspicious if she doesn't come in. And if he is the demon and she doesn't show, he might move on to his next target. I think we should do it with Faith going with her as her sister, that way she would be protected."

"Agreed," Leo said.

"Alright, I'll be there," Faith said.

"I'll be waiting."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Back at the Manor Emma sat in the conservatory huddled over a map, scrying crystal in hand as Phoebe, Buffy and Cole looked through the Book of Shadows.

"I—I feel the crystal pulling, he's still in the area," Emma said.

"Well, we can't find him in the book anywhere." Phoebe said as Buffy nodded in agreement.

"Did you notice how he vanished? Did he smoke out, flame out?" Cole said.

Buffy shook her head. "Actually, he shimmered."

"Wait, I think I found him," Emma said.

"Where?" Buffy asked.

"He's at, uh, Prescott and..." Emma said.

"Pine." Phoebe said.

Buffy was the first on her feet and heading for the kitchen door. "Phoebe, find Piper and Paige, get ready. Cole you take upstairs, I will check down here, outside and the basement."

"Wait, are you saying he's here in the house?" Emma asked.

"Possibly," Cole said

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

At the DA's office Susan and Faith walked down the hall toward Sikes' office. "Hello?" Susan called out as Sikes came out of his office.

"Ah, Ms. Coleman. Who's this?" Sikes asked looking at Faith.

"My half-sister," Susan said.

"That's good," Sikes said. "Um, why don't you just wait over there and uh, I'll let you know when it's over."

"If it's the same to you," Faith said. "I would prefer to be with Susan. She's been through a lot you know with the death of her friend."

Sikes frowned but nodded. "Right this way," he said as he led them into the office and shut the door behind them. He turned immediately on Faith and went to backhand her as she deftly ducked the swing.

"Thought so," Faith said. "Good cover for a demon, being a lawyer. You wouldn't happen work for Wolfram and Hart would you. No matter. Leo!"

Leo orbed in and grabbed Susan and Faith's hands before Sikes could draw his athame and orbed out with them.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Back at the Manor Buffy and Cole searched the entire inside of the house and outside and found nothing. They met Phoebe at the base of the stairs and filled her in just as Leo orbed in with Susan and Faith.

"It's the ADA," Leo said.

"Sikes?" Phoebe and Buffy asked.

Faith nodded, "He tried to kill Susan. B, why didn't you tell me there were demonic lawyers in town. I could have sent Angel down to help out."

Buffy nodded in understanding as she knew Angel had dealt with the law firm of Wolfram and Hart. "Because I didn't know. If I had, don't you think I would have passed that along," she said

"Regardless I don't know if he followed us here or not," Leo said just as Sikes shimmered in.

"Watch out!" Buffy yelled as Sikes threw an energy ball at them. They ducked out of the way as Cole threw an energy ball at Sikes. "Take her upstairs."

"You're gonna have to do better than that." Sikes said as Leo and Susan ran up the stairs. He proceeded into his demonic form just as Piper, Paige and Emma came from another part of the house.

"Faith," Buffy said as she threw the athame toward her sister Slayer and then proceed to freeze him. "We need a bit of his flesh."

Faith nodded as she rushed over to Sikes and sliced a piece of flesh off his arm. "Got it," she said just as Sikes unfroze. He went to backhand Faith who ducked out of the way. He then proceeded to throw an energy ball at them as Cole pushed them out of the way. The energy ball hit instead the mechanical baby that still rested in the baby carrier on the dining room table. At that moment Cole morphed into Belthazor.

"Belthazor, we meet at last," Sikes roared out.

"But not for long," Belthazor said as They both threw an energy ball which collided causing the house to shake.

"We'll finish this later." Sikes said and he shimmered out.

"Is everybody okay?" Buffy asked as she and Faith helped Paige, Phoebe, Piper and Emma up.

"I'm good, Mom." Piper said.

"Ditto," Paige said.

"I'm okay. Emma?" Phoebe said.

Emma frowned as she looked at Belthazor instantly recognizing him. She had realized that she had been tracking the wrong demon that Belthazor was the one that had killed her fiancé. "He's not the demon who killed my fiancé," she said as she pointed at Belthazor. "He is." She watched as Belthazor morphed into Cole. "He's a killer. What's the matter with you people?"

"Emma, I know you're upset but you have to understand." Piper said.

"You're making a huge mistake. He's not who you think he is." Phoebe added.

"He's the demon who killed my fiancé and that is all I need to know." Emma said as she pushed her way to the table where her dagger lay.

"Whoa, whoa, hey!" Piper said just as Emma grabbed the dagger and threw it at Cole. He managed to catch it before it had a chance to stab him. "How can you protect a murderer? How can you live with yourselves?" She turned and stormed out of the house.

"Is she right?" Faith wondered. "Are you the one who killed her fiancé?"

"I don't know, I don't remember," Cole said. "You have to remember Faith that I was evil for a very long time before I met Phoebe. It was her love that saved me."

"Different circumstances," Buffy said, "but he is like Angel in that regards, Faith."

"Alright," Faith said. "So we have a bit of his flesh. I am assuming that means some kind of potion?"

"Yes," Phoebe said, "one we can make to vanquish him."

Buffy led Piper, Paige and Faith into the kitchen and they started working on the potion.

"Okay, we just need the pigs feet, over there by the mandrake root." Piper said when they were finally nearing completion of the potion some time later.

"Poor piggy, piggy. They're sensitive creatures, you know. Smart too." Paige said.

Buffy noticed Faith roll her eyes. She met her sister Slayer's gaze and nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, not that one." Piper said as Paige put the pig's feet in the potion and flames shot up.

"Okay, so all we need to do is drop in Sikes' flesh." Buffy said as she and Piper gradually stepped away from the potion. She grabbed Faith and pulled her back as well. "Right, just drop it in."

Paige added the flesh as the potion exploded knocking her to the ground. She looked up to see Buffy, Piper and Faith all with grins on their faces. "You did that on purpose didn't you, mom?" she asked. "And you let her, Piper, Faith?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah!"

"Yeah, it happened to me last year," Piper said. "No substitute for experience. Right, Mom?"

"Right, honey." Buffy said.

"So why didn't I get that little bit of experience?" Faith asked as Cole raced in.

"You girls alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, just doing a little sisterly and motherly bonding, that's all," Buffy said. "And Faith I think you already have the experience. Willow and Tara have told me you helped them with a couple of potions."

"I did," Faith said.

"Where's Phoebe?" Piper asked. "The potion will be ready in a couple of minutes."

"Yeah, she wanted to talk to Emma, explain things." Cole said.

"Good luck." Paige said with a roll of her eyes.

"Look, I don't need the guilt from you," Cole said, "okay; I've got enough of my own to deal with."

"What, and you think that covers it? What you did?" Paige asked.

"Paige, don't," Buffy said with a glare at her daughter.

"Don't what, Mom? He killed a man, are you condoning that?" Paige asked.

Buffy shook her head, "No, of course not. But it's just not that simple. He can't change the past."

Faith nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I have to agree on that. If he is good now. That is what matters. What's in the past can't be helped, all he can do now is try and atone for it."

"Also you've seen how much good he's helped us to do," Piper added. "That's who he is now and we've accepted that."

"If you all say so." Paige said.

Cole looked at Faith, Buffy and Piper. He expected Buffy and Piper to stand up for him, after all they had seen all the good he had done. Faith on the other hand had surprised him. "Thank you," he said to Faith.

"No problem, C," Faith said.

"If you're getting a single letter nickname," Buffy said, "that means she likes you. And coming from Faith that means a lot."

Cole nodded his appreciation towards Faith before looking toward Piper and Buffy. "Do you want me to help you find Sikes?"

"Can you?" Piper asked.

Cole nodded. "If he's still emulating me, all I have to do is figure out what I'd do next."

"Which would be...?" Faith wondered.

"Go after the Charmed Ones." Cole said. "Or Buffy. If I knew Buffy was the mother of the Charmed Ones I would come at her to get to them. The same could be said about Dawn."

"Which also means …" Faith said with a glance at Buffy.

"The best way to probably get at me or Dawn would be through you, yeah. Any demon would know we would come to your rescue." Buffy said.

"First I'd have to regroup somewhere," Cole said. "Tend to my cut."

"The mausoleum?" Piper asked.

"Except Sikes will anticipate that," Cole said as he thought for a second on what he would do if he were in Sikes place. "He'll be expecting you to come after him which means he'll be probably be lying in wait. Maybe set up some kind of trap."

"One that you can identify." Buffy said as Cole nodded. "So let's go."

"Wait, don't we need Phoebe?" Paige asked.

Piper shook her head. "No, all we need is this." She said as she held up four vials of potion and handed one each to Paige, Buffy and Faith. "Besides, it's better to keep Emma away from the action." She turned to see Leo carrying the charred remains of the mechanical baby. "Oh, honey, what happened?"

"Sikes. I guess you were right," Leo said.

"Leo, Piper. We really need to talk later," Buffy said. "Don't let this be your excuse for not having a child."

"Who's gonna pay for this?" Paige asked more worried about the mechanical baby than Leo and Piper not having a baby of their own or the fact they should be going after Sikes. "Well?"

"We're gonna go after Sikes so we should probably orb Susan out of here just to be safe." Piper said as she kissed Leo on the cheek and left the kitchen as Buffy, Paige, Faith and Cole followed her.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Later in one of the cemeteries of San Francisco Faith, Buffy, Cole, Piper and Paige walked down the stairs into one of the mausoleums.

"Any sign of him?" Paige wondered.

Cole shook his head, "No," he said just as they reached the bottom of the steps. He quickly noticed something and pulled Paige back quickly.

"What?" Faith wondered.

"Trap. Back up," Cole said as he picked up a candle and threw it on the ground in front of them. The candle exploded and the whole floor quickly caught on fire. And just as quickly the flames died away. He raced across the room looking around and frowning. Sikes wasn't here.

"Where is he?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know," Cole said.

"Well, why would he set a trap for us and not be here?" Paige asked.

"Unless this is just a distraction." Cole said.

"You don't think he's after me, Dawn, B, Piper or Paige do you?" Faith asked.

"No," Cole said with a shake of his head. "He's after me. And the best way to get to me is through..."

"Phoebe." Buffy and Piper said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

At that same moment back at the Manor Phoebe walked through the front door. "Cole?" she yelled wanting to talk to him. But instead she got a surprise as Sikes shimmered in behind her and grabbing her by the back of the neck. She let out a gasp of surprise as she dropped her purse.

"Close," he said.

"What do you want?" Phoebe asked.

"Buffy! I'm home from school." Dawn called out as she walked in behind Phoebe and Sikes.

Sikes turned himself and Phoebe around to face Dawn, "Well who do we have here?"

"Leave her out of it." Phoebe said. "She's no threat to you." She knew it was a lie hoping he didn't.

"I beg to differ," Sikes said. "She could run and get help now couldn't she. And I really want Belthazor to come find me so…"

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Later Faith, Buffy, Piper, Paige and Cole rushed through the front door. They saw Phoebe's purse and Dawn's backpack on the floor.

"Phoebe." Paige called out as Faith shouted, "Dawn."

"I'll check upstairs, you check downstairs." Cole said.

"Cole be careful. Dawn could be with them," Buffy said.

"I will, I promise." Cole said.

"I'll go with you," Faith said as she followed Cole up the stairs.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Up in the attic Sikes had Phoebe and Dawn tied to a couple of chairs. "You must be something very special, turn a demon," he said to Phoebe as he touched the tip of his athame against her neck. "Something very special indeed. Unfortunately though, when you made him less evil, you made him less powerful. Hmm, I wonder, are you gonna have the same effect on me after I kill him?" He smirked as he saw Cole and Faith walk through the attic door. "Well, well, well. The mighty Belthazor and the Slayer from Sunnydale. You don't disappoint, Belthazor. I knew you'd figure out what I was up to... sooner or later. Though I wasn't expecting the Slayer. Does she," he pointed at Dawn, "hold special meaning for you, Slayer?" He looked back at Cole as he pointed the athame at Phoebe's neck.

"Cole, Faith, get outta here," Phoebe said. "He won't hurt me or Aunt Dawn. He's bluffing."

"I can't take that chance." Cole and Sikes said.

Sikes smiled. "Ooh, it's kinda eerie, isn't it? How I know you better than you know yourself. The student has surpassed his mentor."

"Mentor?" Faith said with a laugh. "Somehow I doubt that was ever the case."

Sikes shrugged with a glance at Faith. "By reputation he was. By his legend.," he said as he looked back at Cole. "It'll be an honor to kill you." He tucked the athame in his belt. "And assume your rightful place in the hierarchy."

Cole looked at Phoebe as she realized what he was about to do. "Remember what I told you? What I asked you to do?"

"Cole, please, don't," Phoebe pleaded.

Cole screamed as he morphed into Belthazor at the same time Sikes morphed into his demonic form.

Sikes grabbed for Belthazor trying to strangle him. "Die!" he said as Faith rushed over to Dawn and began to untie her.

"Cole?" Phoebe said worriedly.

"Phoebe?" Dawn said wondering what Cole had asked Phoebe to do.

Belthazor pushed Sikes up high enough that Sikes head hits the roof of the attic just as Faith finished with Dawn's bonds.

"Dawn," Faith said. "Go get Buffy, Piper and Paige." Dawn nodded as she ran out of the attic. Faith turned and began working on Phoebe's bonds. "I'll have you free in a second. What's going on by the way?"

"Cole thought that if he embraced his demonic self fully he would have the power to take out Sikes. But he wasn't sure if he would be able to come back," Phoebe explained as Belthazor grabbed the athame from Sikes belt.

Suddenly Belthazor and Sikes froze as Buffy, Piper, Paige and Dawn walked into the attic. As they rushed over to Phoebe and Faith they could see that Belthazor and Sikes were fighting through Buffy's freeze. As Faith got Phoebe free Belthazor and Sikes unfroze completely. Belthazor quickly and decisively stabbed Sikes with athame vanquishing him. He then turned toward Buffy, Faith, Dawn, Phoebe, Piper and Paige.

"Cole?" Phoebe said as he walked towards them with the athame. "It's over. You can turn back now. Cole, you can do it. For me, for us."

"Hurry, throw the potion. maybe it'll work on him." Paige said as Buffy and Piper held up their potion vials.

"No, don't." Phoebe said.

"Phoebe, we may not have a choice." Buffy said.

"Cole, please, you can do this, you're good." Phoebe said just as Emma ran through the attic door and threw a potion vial at Belthazor. Flames surrounded him and when those flames subsided they saw that Cole was there as he dropped to his knees.

"What happened?" Paige asked.

"That was the power stripping potion I made to free Cole," Phoebe said as she walked over to Cole. "Are you okay?" She pulled Cole into an embrace as Emma picked up the athame that Cole had dropped. She quickly put herself between Emma and Cole. "No! You got your revenge. You killed the demon you were after. Belthazor's dead, gone forever. Cole's a human being, an innocent."

Something in Phoebe's eyes told Emma that Phoebe was telling the truth as she hand Phoebe the athame.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

At P3 an hour before opening Buffy and Paige sat at the bar as they watched Piper writing a check to pay for the mechanical baby.

"You know, this baby was your idea." Piper said to Paige as Leo came up beside them.

Paige nodded, "I know, I know, that's why I'm paying for half of it. I still haven't quite figured out how to explain what happened to it though," she said as Piper handed her the check. "Thank you."

"Well, at least it served its purpose." Piper said.

"In spades unfortunately," Leo said.

Buffy shook her head and pointed to Leo and Piper. "You two follow me," she said as she led Piper and Leo over to a table. "Don't let what happened to the mechanical baby discourage you. Look I raised three beautiful girls till I died. Mom then raised those same three beautiful girls till she died. All the time your powers were bound. I will admit it's not easy to raise a child in a magical household. But it can be done. You Piper as well as Phoebe and Prue are proof of that. Mom and I had to fight demons all the time and we had to protect you three also. What happened today with the mechanical baby was a fluke. Don't let this one situation decide if you're ready to have a child or not."

Piper and Leo looked at each other and then they both nodded. "We'll think about what you said, Mom," Piper said.

"That's all I ask." Buffy said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

At the Manor Dawn sat looking at Faith. "Was Sikes right?" she asked Faith.

"About what he said," Faith said. "I don't know yet. There is something that the angel of destiny told me and Buffy and it has to do with you and me. But it doesn't have to go that way if you and I don't want it to."

"What?" Dawn asked.

"Love."


	8. Chapter 7: Charmed and Dangerous

**Chapter 7: Charmed and Dangerous**

Buffy, Piper and Leo sat at the dining room table they had been talking about Piper's Will.

"Do I really need to think about this now?" Leo asked as Piper slid the document to him.

"Yes." Piper said.

"Why?" Leo wondered.

Piper let out a sigh as she glanced toward her mother before looking back at Leo. "Because the Source has already killed one of us. And if god forbid it happens again we want to be prepared. We're leaving everything to Mom and Aunt Dawn. And if something happens to either of them then to you."

"Hey guys! Guess what?" Phoebe said as she and Cole raced in from somewhere else in the Manor.

"What makes you think I'm going to outlive you, Buffy or Dawn anyway?" Leo asked.

"Leo, you're an angel, literally," Piper said, she ignored the fact that Leo had referred to Buffy by her name. He and Cole continued to do that as well as Dawn. She had gotten used to it. "Which means short of a Darklighter, you win most likely to survive."

"Oh! Speaking of surviving, Source bulletin, this just in." Phoebe said holding up a piece of paper.

"Honey, just sign the freakin' thing." Piper said as she continued on blowing past what Phoebe was trying to get their attention for. It was at that moment that Cole whistled loudly, loud enough they had to look in her sister and Cole's direction. "What?"

"Phoebe has something she'd like to say that actually might affect what you're doing here," Cole explained.

Phoebe gave Cole a look of appreciation. "Thank you, honey," she said as she turned her gaze back toward her sister, mother and Leo. "We nailed the Source vanquishing spell." She handed Buffy and Piper each a sheet of paper. "Our ancestors. That's what we were missing. If we could draw the magic from the entire Halliwell line..."

"Take my name out," Buffy interrupted as she glanced over the spell. "Otherwise you might have enough power to vanquish the Source."

"Yes." Phoebe said excitedly before realizing what Buffy had said. "Wait what? Take your name out. Why?"

"Because I'm alive. If this were back when you didn't know about me. It would have had more of an impact. But since you do. You don't want me to wind up astral projecting out of my body in the middle of a fight." Buffy said.

"Mom," Piper said. "No offense, but we would rather you not being here beside us for a fight against the Source."

Buffy sighed. "I can't sit on the sidelines, Piper. I've seen too much, done too much just as the Slayer alone. Don't ask me to do that, I can't."

"What about Aunt Dawn?" Phoebe asked.

"Dawn will be waiting for a text message that will tell her to go straight to Victor's any day after school," Buffy said. "And should I not come to pick her up she is to come get the Book, assuming the Source doesn't have it or have demons guarding it, and go to Sunnydale and Willow. While not related to you all she still is a Halliwell by her magic as she has a Warren power like I do. If we die fighting the Source she will be the last of the Warren line. And her children and grandchildren would be the only line of defense against the Source should we fall. For that reason I want her protected."

"Okay," Phoebe said. She didn't like it one bit. She and Piper had already lost their mother once, she didn't want to lose her again after having just been reunited. Add on top of that she didn't want Dawn to lose her sister, she didn't want her aunt to have to go through again what she and Piper had gone through with Prue.

Buffy passed the spell to Leo who looked it over. "I'll go tell the Elders," he said as he orbed out.

"Hey!" Piper yelled toward the ceiling. "You did not sign this!"

"Oh, honey, are you still on that will and testament kick?" Phoebe asked. "I gotta tell you, it's very, very morbid."

"No, it's very, very responsible. Prue did it and thank god she did, because if she hadn't we'd still be dealing with lawyers," she said before looking at Cole. "No offense."

"Oh, none taken," Cole said as he smiled at them. "I've come to terms with my evil past."

"I have a really good feeling about this, okay? No one is going to die any time soon," Phoebe said as she rested a hand on Cole and received a premonition of a demon throwing a fireball at her and Cole diving in front of her.

"You alright?" Cole asked when he noticed Phoebe hesitate.

"Yeah, um, I just have the hiccups," Phoebe said as she pretended to have the hiccups. "Ooh, see? Uh, Piper, Mom, can I talk to you two for a minute in the kitchen?" She pretended to hiccup again for good measure to convince Cole.

Piper looked to Buffy who nodded. "Sure," she said as she, Buffy and Phoebe walked into the kitchen. "Phoebe, with or without the Source we still need a will. Especially if I'm going to start a family."

"This isn't about the will," Phoebe interrupted. "This is about a premonition I just had that I don't want Cole to know about."

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked suddenly concerned. "Why not?"

"Because I just saw him jump in front of a demon to take a fireball for me, that's why not," Phoebe said.

"A demon? Piper said as a frown creased her face. "What kind of demon?"

"One with a half a face," Phoebe said.

"Yuck!" Piper said, shaking her head.

"Interesting," Buffy said. "I don't remember ever seeing such a demon in either lifetime."

We have to figure out who the demon is and vanquish him before Cole..." Phoebe said.

"What if we need Cole to ID him?" Buffy interrupted. "I mean, the Source probably sent this demon."

"That's exactly my point, Mom," Phoebe said. "He's going to want to stay close to protect me."

"Well, honey, that's what you do for people you love," Piper said with a glance at Buffy. She smiled at her mother. She understood now why Buffy was intent on standing beside them. She was doing it because she loved them.

"I know, Piper," Phoebe said, "but he's human now, it's not like he can fend off a fireball."

"Well, can't you talk to him?" Piper asked.

Phoebe shook her head. "No, I've tried," she said with a sigh. "He's not going to sit by the sidelines, it's not who he is." She then looked at Buffy and nodded. "I see now why you want to stand with us. I wish you would reconsider though."

"I know," Buffy said. "Anyways you're not going to tell him?"

"The attack happened in the attic," Phoebe said. "So I'll just keep him out of the house until I can ID the demon."

Piper looked to Buffy who sighed. "Alright, it's your relationship, it's your call," she said. "I'll let Paige know what's up. As long as you're sure."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Across town at South Bay Social Services. Paige and Darryl sat with Caroline, who was trying to get her son back.

"Trust me, I'm sure." Paige said.

"The judge just wants to hear the truth, that's all," Darryl agreed.

"Everything is going to be okay," Paige added.

"Yeah, but once he hears about all the awful things I've done," Caroline said, they could hear the worry in her voice about some of things that had caused her to lose custody of her son in the first place.

"Done as in past tense," Paige said.

Caroline sighed, "My past is why I lost custody of my son in the first place."

"Look, we're not going to pretend that you weren't in an abusive relationship or that you didn't go to rehab," Paige explained.

"It's just that I made so many mistakes," Caroline told them.

"Your ex is out of your life, okay?" Paige said trying to reassure Caroline. "You've been clean and sober for almost two years now and you've held down a steady job at a police station no less."

"You've changed, that's all that matters," Darryl agreed.

"The judge just cares about who you are, not about who you were. And that's what's going to get your son back," Paige told Caroline as her cell phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and saw it was home. "Oh, excuse me." She stood and walked out of the room as she answered the call. "This is not a good time I'm in the middle of something important."

"Does a demon with half a face qualify as important?" Piper whispered.

"He's there now?" Paige asked.

"No."

"Well, then it doesn't qualify," Paige said.

"Phoebe had a premonition and not a good one."

"I know why I'm whispering, why are you?" Paige asked.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

At the Manor Piper looked into the foyer as she talked to Paige and saw Phoebe leading Cole toward the door.

"So it keeps making like this brrr-brrr noise," Phoebe said trying to persuade Cole to leave the house for a while. Her excuse had been that Piper's car was acting funny and she wanted him to check it out.

"But it's not even your car," Cole reminded her.

"No," Phoebe said, "I don't want mom to be driving it and have it break down, especially if she has Aunt Dawn with her. Look, if you can just take it to the mechanic and have him look at it that'd be great."

"Phoebe, that thing you were talking about, day or night thing?" Piper asked.

"Night," Phoebe answered.

Cole was immediately skeptical on why Phoebe wanted him to have Piper's car checked out. "What thing?" he asked.

"It's nothing important," Phoebe said as she smiled at him.

"There's nothing wrong with Buffy's car is there?" Cole asked as he was sure this was a distraction to get him away from the house for some reason.

Phoebe sighed. "No."

"But you want me to leave don't you?" Cole asked.

"Yes."

"And you don't want to tell me why?" he asked as he wondered why she wanted him to leave.

"If you could just give us a couple of hours," Phoebe said, "don't ask any questions. Please, please."

Cole sighed. "You'll tell me later?"

"I promise," Phoebe said as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before he turned and walked out the front door. "I love that man."

"Phoebe," Buffy said with a sigh, "I don't understand why you feel you have to protect him."

"Because, mom," Phoebe said, "I don't want him to get hurt. You telling me you didn't do the same thing with dad?"

"Yes," Buffy said, "but I also told him why I wanted him to go."

"Paige, look, this could be the attack we've been waiting for. You need to come home now." Piper said. "Right. Okay, fine, but you need to come home as soon as you can." She then hung up the phone.

"She's trying to help Caroline isn't she," Buffy said as Piper nodded. "Caroline is her innocent just as Cole is ours. Let her deal with hers and we will deal with ours."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Later in the attic Buffy, Piper and Phoebe were trying to find the demon with half a face in the Book of Shadows.

"So, we found a demon with half a body but no demon with half a face," Phoebe said.

"I told you." Buffy said. "That there wasn't one. And I do believe I would have remembered if there had been one in the Book."

"Well, we have another route we can take," Piper said. "We do have a resident demonologist living in the house."

"Yeah, we've had that conversation," Phoebe said.

"Alright. You keep looking, I'll go get some coffee," Piper said as she headed for the door.

"I'll call Giles," Buffy said as she followed Piper out the door and down the stairs. "Maybe there is mention in one of his books on this demon."

Piper and Buffy had barely reached the second floor when they heard Phoebe scream. "Piper! Mom!"

Buffy and Piper raced back up the stairs into the attic and found Phoebe lying against a shattered mirror and a demon standing not far from them.

Piper tried using her power to blow up the demon but nothing happened. "Thank you," he said.

Buffy spotted the knife she kept on her nightstand and rushed over to it. She grabbed it as the demon blew up a sewing machine near her. She threw it at the demon and hit him in the neck vanquishing him. She along with Piper, who had moved over to help Phoebe, watched as black bee-like creatures flew away.

"Phoebe, Mom, did you both see that?" Piper asked as Buffy nodded in confirmation. She looked to her sister. "Phoebe?"

Phoebe fell forward on to her stomach showing them the large pieces of the mirror stuck in her back.

"Phoebe!" Buffy and Piper shouted in concern.

"Leo!" Buffy called out as Leo orbed in. "Phoebe's hurt."

Leo rushed over to Phoebe and pulled the glass out of Phoebe's back and then proceeded to heal her

"What's taking so long?" Piper asked when it appeared to be taking longer than usual.

"She almost died," Leo explained, "that's what's taking so long."

"What happened?" Phoebe asked as her wounds closed up and her eyes opened.

"One very mean demon," Piper answered.

"And did you get him?" Phoebe asked.

"Yes," Buffy said. "But, uh, something else got away. And that's not all." She picked up a vase and threw it in the air. How she knew Piper's powers were gone she couldn't say. But something at the back of her mind told her they were gone. Piper tried to freeze the vase and they all watched it smash on the floor. For some reason Piper's powers were no longer working. "Piper's powers are gone."

"It stole your powers?" Phoebe asked.

"It stole, ate, absorbed, I don't know. The only thing I do know is that I've got to get them back," Piper said as she walked over to the Book of Shadows.

"I don't understand," Phoebe said confused at the sequence of events. "We vanquish a demon and then lose our powers. How does that work?"

"That thing must have absorbed your powers somehow although I don't know how." Leo said.

Buffy nodded, "With the Source lurking around."

Piper flipped through the Book of Shadows till she landed on a page that displayed the demon Buffy had vanquished. "That's him, this is him. Guardians of the Hollow, ring any bells?"

"That's not possible." Buffy and Leo said simultaneously. Buffy now understood the nagging feeling at the back of her mind.

"Why not, what is it?" Piper said looking between Leo and Buffy.

"Because the Hollow is something that consumes all magic good or evil and both sides agreed to guard," Buffy explained. "It's kind of a distant cousin of both the Nexus and the Nothing. It like them is purely neutral. Like them it will go after good just as much as it will go after evil."

"That thing must have been the Hollow," Leo said with a glance at Buffy in understanding, "it must have taken over the demon."

"Well, then how do we get it to regurgitate?" Phoebe wondered.

"Hmm, there's no mention of a vanquish here." Piper said as she scanned the page in front of her.

Buffy let out a sigh. "You can't vanquish it," she said.

"The last time it was unleashed it nearly decimated all magic, all things," Leo added.

"The last time it was unleashed?" Phoebe asked.

"Eons ago," Leo explained. "Good and evil had to join forces and use their strongest magic and even then all they could do was contain it."

"Okay, so if good and evil are seeing eye to eye on this one, who let it out?" Phoebe asked.

"The Source," Piper and Buffy said.

Leo nodded, "If he was desperate enough."

"Which means he won't stop at just my powers, he's going to send another demon for yours and Paige's," Piper said as she looked at Phoebe. She then looked at Buffy, "and maybe even yours, Mom, and Aunt Dawn's." Piper said.

"Very possible," Buffy said, "I'll text Dawn to let her know to go to Victor's."

"Even if you could use your powers you wouldn't be able to because the Hollow would just steal them," Leo said.

"Then how do we stop him?" Phoebe asked.

"We'll use potions instead. I'll make one to replace my exploding power." Piper said.

"I'm still the Slayer. So we can use that also." Buffy said.

"Okay, you better get Paige. You're going to need the power of three. I'll go check with the Elders," Leo said as he orbed out.

"On a scale from one to bad..." Phoebe said.

"Oh were way past bad." Buffy said.

"Mom, now is not the time to be pessimistic." Piper said as Buffy sighed and left the attic to text Dawn.

"Do you think Aunt Dawn could talk mom into going and staying with her and dad?" Phoebe wondered.

"I hope so," Piper said. "I understand why she wants to stay here and help us. But the last thing I want to do is watch mom die all over again."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Later in the kitchen Buffy stood in front of a potion's pot brewing a potion as Piper and Phoebe stood on either side helping her.

"Here you go, one owl feather," Phoebe said as she handed her mother an owl feather.

"Do you think I jinxed us?" Piper asked her sister. "With the will? Maybe it wasn't such a great idea."

"Actually," Phoebe said, "I'm beginning to think it was a very smart idea."

"That's not so funny." Piper said as she watched her mother roll her eyes.

"Trust me, I know," Phoebe said just as Cole walked into the kitchen.

"Hi," he said. "Am I back too soon?"

"Um..." Phoebe said unsure of how to answer.

"We need his help," Buffy said with a sigh. So far even Giles had been unable to find anything on a demon with half a face in his books. "No time to be evasive."

"Help for what?" Cole asked. "Well, it's obvious you're making a potion so what is it you're not telling me?"

"Um, I had a premonition," Phoebe said with a sigh. She did not want to involve Cole in this if it meant him possibly dying. "A demon attacked and you jumped in front of a fireball to save me."

"What?" Cole asked shocked at this bit of news. Not so much that she had a premonition of it happening but more because she kept it from him. "You can't keep these things from me."

Phoebe sighed. "I was just trying to protect you."

"Well, that's not a good enough reason." Cole said.

"I have to agree with Cole," Buffy said. "When I would ask your dad to leave when I had to battle a demon I told him why."

"Uh, hate to interrupt but maybe we should talk about the demon." Piper said.

"What'd he look like?" Cole asked.

"Creepy, half face, and his good side has tribal markings, a little bit like..." Phoebe said.

"Belthazor," Cole interrupted as he already knew who was after the love of his life and her family.

"A little bit," Phoebe said. "Do you know who he is? Does he work for the Source?"

Cole shook his head as he sat at the kitchen table. "He doesn't work for the Source," he explained, "Phoebe, he is the Source. His face was disfigured in the battle that brought him to power. Only upper level demons have seen it. You should have told me."

"So he's the one that released the Hollow," Buffy said.

"The Hollow?" Cole said fearing the worst. "What do you mean released?"

"It already attacked us. It took Piper's power." Phoebe said.

Cole had been right to fear the worst and his fear had proven correct. The Power of Three was down one person. "Well, then you'd better figure out a way to beat the Source without your powers otherwise..."

"Already on it," Buffy said as her potion exploded.

Paige walked laid five crystals on the table. "Five magic crystals oriented east to west. Magic circle, check."

Piper mixed one white liquid with another that turned. "Oh, purple good, purple equals exploding power. Exploding power, check."

"One fabulously written Source vanquishing spell, check." Phoebe said.

Cole shook his head, "Don't get cocky."

"Not cocky, confident." Phoebe said.

"We are talking about the Source of all evil," Piper said as Leo orbed in, "maybe measured optimism is best."

"The Source unleashed the Hollow," Leo said confirming what they already suspected as truth.

"We already knew that, remember it stole Piper's powers. Anything else?" Buffy said.

"Good and evil magic need to join forces," Leo told them, "and read the inscription on the box where the Hollow is kept. That will put it back in its crypt and return Piper's powers."

"Okay, so at least we know how to vanquish it, this is good news," Piper said.

"Good news if the Source brings the box and we could find an evil being willing to help." Phoebe said.

"Hey, Cole, too bad you're not still evil." Paige said.

"One step at a time," Cole said as the phone rang. "First we vanquish the Source, and then we'll worry about putting Pandora back in its box."

"Hello?" Paige said as she answered the phone. "Hey, Darryl. Oh, no." She turned and walked into the dining room. "Are you sure she's going to be okay?"

 _"Yeah, the ER doctor said there's no internal bleeding. She still got beat up pretty bad,"_ Darryl said over the phone.

"Damn it, how did he find her?" Paige asked.

 _"I have no idea. But I've got every available officer out there looking for him."_

"What about the hearing?" Paige wondered.

 _"I got it postponed for an hour from now, but I doubt we're gonna find him by then. Look, Paige, with their history this doesn't look good."_

Paige sighed and hung up just as Leo walked out of the kitchen. "We need you in the kitchen," he said.

Paige turned and headed for the kitchen but stopped as she thought of Caroline. She turned and looked at her brother-in-law. "You know, Leo, I have my charges too," she said as a Darklighter orbed in. He turned his crossbow on Leo. "Leo!" she shouted as the Darklighter shot the arrow that was notched in the crossbow. She watched as the arrow hit him as Cole came out of the kitchen to see what was keeping Paige and Leo. "Crossbow!"

"No, your powers," Cole shouted. His warning was too late and had no affect on the Darklighter. It was then that Piper, Buffy and Phoebe came out of the kitchen.

"Leo!" Piper said as she spotted Leo with the arrow sticking out of his shoulder. She raced over to her husband.

"Paige, watch out," Buffy shouted as Paige ducked out of the way just as she threw a potion that was in her hand vanquishing the Darklighter.

"Mom!" Piper cried out and Buffy ran over to Piper and Leo. Using her Slayer given strength she lifted Leo and carried him into the conservatory and laid him on the couch.

"Piper," Buffy said," we have to get the arrow out."

Piper nodded. "Mom, hold his hand," she said as she gripped the arrow. As Buffy took his hand Piper pulled the arrow out of Leo's shoulder and put it on the coffee table next to her. "Paige, don't touch that you're part Whitelighter." She looked at her husband who breathed heavily. "You're okay, just lie back. Easy."

"Still bossing everyone around, huh?" Leo asked as he coughed.

"You'd better believe it," Piper told him.

"I don't understand how come you can heal us but you can't heal yourself," Paige wondered.

"It doesn't work that way," Buffy said remembering one time when she was Patty that she had swapped powers with Sam to heal him.

"Yeah, but he can switch powers with Phoebe, like we did before," Piper said seemingly knowing what was going through her mother's mind.

"No!" Leo said. "Look, if The Source comes and Phoebe doesn't have her powers, you don't stand a chance. I mean it. I'm still your Whitelighter."

"Well, who's bossing whom around now?" Piper asked. "Paige, Phoebe find something else, a spell, an amulet, whatever. Go!"

Buffy looked at Piper and lets out a sigh as Phoebe, Paige and Cole headed up the stairs. She reached over and hugged Piper. "I'm sorry, sweetie," she said as Piper looked at her with a sad smile on her face.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"It'll never work." Phoebe said when she, Paige and Cole had reached the second floor landing.

"Will anything?" Paige wondered.

Phoebe sighed, "I don't know," she said as Buffy came up the stairs.

"So, what, we're all just gonna die?" Paige asked.

"Paige!" Buffy said. "You can't think that way."

"Why not, Mom?" Paige asked. "Isn't that what we're all thinking anyway? Isn't that why you texted Aunt Dawn to go to Victor's? Speaking about, I think I speak for everyone because they don't want to hurt your feelings. But you should have gone with Aunt Dawn."

"I can't, Paige," Buffy sighed. "It's not who I am. Despite time and time again I wish I could have been a normal girl. I can't be a normal girl, I can't sit out this or any other fight. I've seen too much."

"We'll figure a way out of this," Phoebe said with a sigh.

"How?" Paige wondered. "The Source knew we'd be prepared, that's why he came after our powers. The Source knew we had an in-house healer, that's why he came after Leo. He knows what we're going to do before we even do."

"Well, it's not over yet." Buffy said. "Phoebe and I still have our powers."

"Great. Two down." Paige said.

"I'm going to go call Victor and let Dawn know exactly what's up." Buffy said as she went to the phone and picked it up and dialed.

 _"Victor Bennett."_

"Victor it's Buffy." Buffy said.

 _"Hey Patty. I was just about to call you. Dawn just arrived saying she had received a text message to come here. What's up?"_

"Did I ever mention the Source to you?" Buffy asked.

 _"You may have. Why?"_

"He's after the girls." Buffy said. "He has released the Hollow. It steals powers, and already has Piper and Paige's powers. I have to help them. I'm not going to leave my girls to fight him alone. If I don't…"

"Patty…" Victor said knowing full well where this was going.

"Victor, please. I have given Dawn instructions should we not make it. If I don't come to pick her up in the next couple days. You are to bring her here pick up the Book of Shadows and then drive her to Sunnydale. She knows the address. I have it set in my will that my friend Willow will get guardianship first since she's a witch. And if she should… Then it falls to you. I think you would have made a great father if my mother hadn't interfered. That and the fact you know about demons and the supernatural is why I want you to take care of Dawn should something happen to Willow."

 _"Thank you Patty. That means so much to me. I hope to see you tonight. I know you wouldn't want to leave your sister like you left the girls."_

"Your right, I don't." Buffy said. "Can I talk to Dawn please?" She heard some shuffling before Dawn's voice came over the phone.

 _"Buffy?"_

"Remember I love you and I will always love you." Buffy said.

 _"I love you too."_ Dawn said. _"You make sure that you, Piper, Phoebe and Paige come back though. Though truth be told I wish you were here with me. I don't know if I could go through losing you again."_

"I know, Dawn," Buffy said. "And I don't want to do that to you again. Once was bad enough. Regardless remember what we discussed though, okay."

 _"Okay. If I haven't seen you or heard from you in two days I am to get the Book and head to Sunnydale."_

"When you get there, tell Faith I said hello and that she has my blessing," Buffy said. "Bye, Dawnie."

 _"Bye Buffy,"_ Dawn replied as she hung up.

"You should go, Mom," Paige said as Buffy saw her standing in the foyer. "They don't say it, well not to me anyways. But I don't think either Piper or Phoebe could go through having you in their lives again and then having to watch you die again."

"I know," Buffy said. "Believe me, I know. But I can't do it, Paige. What I said to you a little bit ago, is true. I have seen too much as the Slayer, too sit this out."

"You do know that Aunt Dawn is just like you, right?" Paige asked.

Buffy smiled. "I know. That's part of why I want her protected. I know she won't let our deaths go unavenged."

It was then that the doorbell rang and Paige opened the door to find Darryl and Caroline standing there. They both noticed the bruise and cuts on Caroline's face.

"Oh, Caroline," Paige said.

"I'm so sorry, Paige," Caroline said. "After everything you've done to help me."

"It's not over, not yet," Paige said with a smile.

"Paige," Piper said coming up behind Buffy and Paige.

"Darryl, take Caroline into the living room," Paige said.

"Is everything okay?" Darryl asked.

Piper shook her head, "No."

"Yes," Paige said in objection to Piper's no.

They watched as Darryl and Caroline walked into the living room.

"Are you outta your mind?" Piper asked. "We don't have time for other people's problems right now."

"Piper," Buffy said. "Caroline is Paige's innocent. If tonight we die, this could be the last thing Paige could do to leave her mark on the world. Would you deny her that?"

Piper sighed and shook her head. "No," she said as Paige walked into the living room. "Mom, please reconsider and go stay with Dad and Aunt Dawn.

"Piper I can't. I can't leave you girls to face him alone." Buffy said. "That was part of the reason we were doing the will remember. It was why Dawn gets both the Manor and my house in Sunnydale. And why I had setup Willow then Victor as her legal guardian."

Piper sighed, "I know. But we lost you when you went to the lake to battle that demon. I don't think I could forgive myself without saying something to try and change your mind. I don't want to put Aunt Dawn through what Phoebe and I had to go through when Prue died."

"I know sweetie." Buffy said. "And If I had been in your place I would probably have tried to talk me out of helping you girls also. But remember Dawn has already had to do that."

"And it nearly cost her," Piper said as Buffy looked at her surprised. "I overheard you and Aunt Dawn talking. You know how losing Prue affected me. I don't want Aunt Dawn to go through that again."

"Mom? Piper? Paige?" Phoebe called out from the conservatory.

Buffy and Piper raced to the conservatory as Paige joined them from the living room.

"We may have a plan to get your powers back." Cole said.

"Then maybe Paige could help heal Leo," Phoebe added.

"A spell?" Piper asked.

"Remember the one to call for a witches powers?" Phoebe asked as Piper nodded. "Maybe it might be strong enough to call our powers from the Hollow."

"Could that work?" Paige asked.

"Not sure," Buffy said. "It was never meant for such."

"It has to." Piper said before looking to Cole, "Uh, could you watch Leo?"

Cole nodded as Piper, Buffy, Paige and Phoebe head upstairs.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Buffy sat on her bed as she watched Piper, Phoebe and Paige read the spell to call for a witch's powers. "Powers of the witches rise, course unseen across the skies, come to us who call you near, come to us and settle here."

The house started to shake as the Source flamed in.

"Oh my god." Paige gasped.

"Not quite," the Source said with a smirk.

"Run!" Buffy shouted as they ran down the stairs.

"I thought we called for our powers." Paige said as the Source flamed in and blew up a neighboring wall.

"I have your powers now and a few of my own," he said as a fireball appeared in his hand and he threw it at Piper.

"Piper!" Buffy yelled and dove in front of Piper. As the fireball hit her she was knocked against a wall and fell to the floor unconscious.

"Mom!" Piper, Paige and Phoebe yelled. Piper and Phoebe grab Buffy and carry her the only direction they could to escape, back upstairs.

"Hurry, he's coming," Paige said as she followed Piper and Phoebe who put Buffy on her bed.

"Come on, mom, we need you, Mom, it's time," Phoebe said. "Come on, you can do it."

"Do what?" Paige asked. "Piper and I have no powers."

"It doesn't matter; we can still make the plan work," Piper said. "Get the crystals."

Paige raced across the room to the table as the Source flamed between Paige and the crystals. "Seems almost anti-climactic after all this time, doesn't it?" he said as he yanked Paige behind him, hurtling her into some cardboard boxes.

"Mom," Piper and Phoebe said as Buffy finally regained consciousness.

"Ah, Patty Halliwell," the Source said with a smirk, "reincarnated. Why does it not surprise me that both the Elders and the Powers would agree to let you be reincarnated as the Slayer. Regardless say hello to Prue for me."

"Phoebe!" Paige yelled. She had manage to sneak over to the table and grabbed the crystals. She threw a few of them to Phoebe who put them on the floor before her.

The Source looked at Phoebe with a smirk on his face. "Your power was always the weakest, hardly worth taking," he said. "Your life however is."

"Paige, now!" Phoebe said as Paige put down the last crystal and electricity bolts surrounded the Source.

Paige rushed around the Source to Phoebe, Piper and Buffy.

The Source grinned evilly as if he knew something they didn't smiled, "Crystal," he said as a crystal orbed into his hand and the electricity bolts vanished. "Now the moment we've all been waiting for." He threw a fireball at Phoebe, but it never reached her. Out of nowhere Cole appeared diving in front of Phoebe and taking the hit for her. "Belthazor!"

Phoebe shook her head as she realized what was going on. She was just unsure how the Hollow wound up in her boyfriend. "No, The Hollow."

Cole threw a fireball at the Source. "Hurry, the spell," he said.

Phoebe held out the spell so that Paige, Piper and Buffy could all read from it. "Prudence, Penelope, Melinda, Astrid, Helena, Laura and Grace," they chanted as the Source caught on fore, "Halliwell witches stand strong beside us, vanquish this evil from time and space."

The Source yelled as he exploded and was vanquished. It was then that a woman appeared holding the Hollow box.

"Who are you?" Buffy asked.

The woman smiled. "Someone who just helped save your lives," she said as she opened the box and the Hollow escaped out of Cole and went into the box. "Quickly, take my hand."

"Trust her. If you want your powers back." Cole said.

Buffy nodded, "Do it, Phoebe."

Phoebe walked over to the woman. "Say the inscription with me," who said as she and Phoebe read the inscription on the box. "Abolio exume ga ume to eternius."

The box floated up in the air and vanished in a bright light.

Paige immediately rushed downstairs followed by Phoebe. She ran over to Leo and held her hands over him, but nothing happened. "I can't do it, nothing's happening," she said.

"Hold his hand." Phoebe said. "And let his power to heal flow through you."

Paige wasn't sure she understood what Phoebe was suggesting but she took Leo's hand and somehow managed to heal him.

"Paige, Phoebe." Leo said as he opened his eyes and looked at his sister-in-laws.

Paige smiled, "I did it, it worked," she said as the woman, Buffy, Piper and Cole came down the stairs.

"Leo," Piper said when she saw he was awake. She raced over to him and wrapped her arms around him.

"All is as it should be again. Time to return to my side. Too bad Belthazor's gone; he would have made a great new Source," the woman said.

"Too bad," Cole said.

"I don't know who you are, but whoever you are, we thank you," Phoebe said.

The woman smiled, "Oh, I didn't do this for your future, I did it for mine."

"I don't understand, if we got our powers back, where did the Source's go?" Paige asked.

The woman shrugged, "Into the void," she said as she disappeared.

"Okay, who was that?" Piper asked.

"A very evil person." Cole said.

"Yeah, one that saved our lives," Buffy said, "and helped us kill the Source."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Later at Dawn's P3 Leo walked up to the alcove table where Buffy, Piper, Phoebe and Paige sat. He put a plate of nachos on the table before the girls. "Here you go guys, on the house."

"Oh, easy for you to say," Piper said.

"Yeah, well, you deserve to celebrate," Leo said as he sat down next to his wife. "Yeah, I still can't believe it; you guys actually vanquished the Source."

"So what does that mean?" Buffy wondered. "Is their destiny fulfilled?"

Piper shrugged, "I don't know. But at least that part of the nightmare is over."

"For Prue," Phoebe said as they each held up their glasses in toast.

"For Prue," Piper and Buffy echoed.

"What do you say we go home and get started on our future?" Leo said looking to Piper.

"What do you say we go home and sleep," Piper suggested as she and Leo stood, "and then we work on the future tomorrow night." She waved at her sisters and mother and she and Leo headed for the door. They passed Cole as he walked toward the alcove.

"Hi, honey, are you okay?" Phoebe asked Cole when he sat down next to her.

Cole nodded, "Yeah, yeah, why."

"Well, it just took you a little while to get back." Phoebe said.

"It did?" Cole asked.

Phoebe nodded, "Mm-hm."

"You know, facing death has kind of made me want to face life and I'll tell you what, there's a piece of life over there that I think I wanna talk to," Paige said as a guy at the bar looked at her and smiled.

"You go get him, girl." Phoebe said as Paige got up and walked toward the bar.

"I think I need to go see Dawn," Buffy said. "Let her and Victor know I'm still alive."

Phoebe nodded and hugged Buffy, "See you at home, Mom."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Thirty minutes later Buffy stood outside Victor's apartment as she knocked on the door.

"Patty. I take it everything went well?" Victor asked as he opened the door.

Buffy nodded, "Yeah. History didn't repeat itself tonight."

"I'm glad." Victor said. "I was not looking forward to that long drive with Dawn. She's asleep. You want to leave her here for the night and come back for her in the morning so you don't have to wake her?"

"You sure you don't mind? I don't want to impose." Buffy said.

"I'm sure, Patty." Victor said.


End file.
